Erectopus: Research Database
Spinosauridae (Theropoda) · Early Cretaceous (~130-120 MYA) · Europe — England (Sussex, Wadhurst Clay Formation)
Research Note: Erectopus was a spinosaurid theropod from the Early Cretaceous of England — one of the earliest known spinosaurids in Europe and an important taxon for understanding spinosaurid evolution and dispersal in the Cretaceous of Europe.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Malafaia et al. 2019: Erectopus and new data on spinosaurid theropods from the Cretaceous of Europe
Malafaia et al. 2019 provide comprehensive data on Erectopus from the Early Cretaceous of England, establishing it as a spinosaurid and documenting spinosaurid diversity in the Cretaceous of Europe
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Confirmed | A | 2019 | Fossil | Malafaia et al., Cretaceous Research | Taxonomy |
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Buffetaut & Suteethorn 2008: Erectopus and additional data on spinosaurid evolution in the Cretaceous of Europe
Buffetaut & Suteethorn 2008 provide additional data on Erectopus and spinosaurid evolution in the Cretaceous of Europe, further contextualising its significance within Spinosauridae
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Confirmed | B | 2008 | Fossil | Buffetaut & Suteethorn, Geological Magazine | Evolution |
Active Debate: Spinosaurid Dispersal and Cretaceous European Ecosystems
Whether spinosaurids like Erectopus were widespread across Europe or localized is debated. The biogeographic history of spinosaurids in the Cretaceous of Europe — and their relationships to African and Asian spinosaurids — is key to understanding theropod dispersal.
What We Still Do Not Know About Erectopus
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial specimen known.
- Diet: Likely fish and small prey.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
- Body size: Moderate-sized spinosaurid.
In Depth
The taxonomic history of Erectopus is a little muddled, but to begin with Erectopus was named as a species of Megalosaurus, M. superbus. This was in 1882 when Henri-�mile Sauvage added fossil remains to a private collection owned by Louis Pierson that had first been described in 1875 by Charles Barrois. Then when the fossils were studied by Friedrich von Huene they were concluded to not represent a species of Megalosaurus. The result was that the fossils were named as Erectopus sauvagei, while others were ‘Gen. indeterm. superbus’.
After the death of Pierson his private fossil collection was broken up with the fossils going to many, and often unrecorded destinations. As a result the genus Erectopus fell into obscurity and feared lost. But then towards the end of the twentieth century the original partial maxilla was found to be with a fossil dealer in Paris, while casts of the original bones were found stored in the National Museum of Natural History, also in Paris. In 2005 Ronan Allain wrote a new study concerning Erectopus, which resulted in the type species name being established as Erectopus superbus in order to include all of the original fossil material, with the maxilla as lectotype.
As an actual dinosaur, Erectopus seems to have been similar to the genus Allosaurus, and so Erectopus is regarded as a carnosaur. The holotype of Erectopus however seems to have been towards the smaller end of the scale for a theropod dinosaur, and so was probably a predator of other small dinosaurs.
Further Reading
- Les reptiles du terrain Cr�tac� du nord-est du Bassin de Paris. - Bulletin scientifique, historique et litt�raire du Nord, 6: 1-11. - C. Barrois - 1875. - Notes sur les reptiles fossiles. - Bulletin de la Soci�t� G�ologique de France, 4: 435-442. - H. -�. Sauvage - 1876. - Recherches sur les reptiles trouv�s dans le Gault de l’est du bassin de Paris. - M�moires de la Soci�t� G�ologique de France, s�rie 3 2(4): 1-42. - H. -�. Sauvage - 1882. - Carnivorous Saurischia in Europe since the Triassic. - Bulletin of the Geological Society of America 34:449-458. - F. v. Huene - 1923. - The enigmatic theropod dinosaur Erectopus superbus (Sauvage, 1882) from the Lower Albian of Louppy-le-Ch�teau (Meuse, France), by Ronan Allain. In The Carnivorous Dinosaurs (Indiana University Press), K. carpenter eds. – 2005.
