Re: Saurophagus

[Stan Friesen <swf@ElSegundoCA.NCR.COM>]

 From: Tom Holtz <tholtz@geochange.er.usgs.gov>
 > >According to my taxonomic notes at home, the generic name
 > >Saurophagus is a junior homonym of another Saurophagus
 > >described by Swainson in 1831.  (Saurophagus maximus was described
 > >in 1914).
 > 
 > Not so.  If the Swainson name was not used in the 50 years preceding 1914,
 > then it became "available" for the allosaurid.  Let us hope this is so, so
 > the dinosaur can get a name!

Was the dinosaurian name Saurophagus used during the short
period when the 50 year rule was automatic?  If not, or if it
was not used in a way to trigger the automatic rule, then this
will have to be appealed to the Commission for a ruling (as
the current Code no longer allows application of the forgotten
name rule withouth a ruling from the Commission).


This seems to be the best approach, though.  Get
Saurophagus, Swainson declared a nomen oblitum (forgotten
name) and resolve Epanterias in favor of the camarasaurid
portion of the type.

swf@elsegundoca.ncr.com         sarima@netcom.com

The peace of God be with you.