RE: Holbotia

[bh480@scn.org]

To: dinosaur@usc.edu
From: Ben Creisler bh480@scn.org
Subject: RE: Holboltia

The name "Holboltia ponomarenkoi Kurochin, 1982" appeared 
as a label on a fossil shown in a photo (pg. 44) that 
illustrated Kurochkin's 1991 article in Priroda 
("Nature"), a popular-level science magazine published in 
Russia. The caption on the photo indicates that the 
specimen is part of a fragmentary skeleton of a pterosaur 
from Mongolia--the bones are surrounded by an organic 
residue, with the impression of two bird feathers 
alongside. If this is all there is to the name, "Holbotia 
ponomarenkoi" is a nomen nudum. Kurochkin has come out 
with a number of papers about Mongolian and Central Asian 
birds since the article appeared, but I haven't seen all 
of these and can't say if the name Holbotia has been made 
official--the name has not been listed in the Zoological 
Record at least. Note that the correct page numbers for 
the article cited are 43-53. Hope this info
helps.