iBaryonyx
Baryonyx detail - Natural History Museum, London.
Conservation status
Extinct (fossil)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Superorder: Dinosauria Order: Saurischia Suborder: Theropoda (unranked) Tetanurae Family: Spinosauridae Subfamily: Baryonychinae Genus: Baryonyx Species: B. walkeri
Binomial name
Baryonyx walkeri Charig & Milner, 1986

Baryonyx /bæ.riː'ɒn.ɪks/ meaning "heavy claw", referring to its large claw (Greek barus meaning 'heavy' and onyx meaning 'claw' or 'nail') was a carnivorous dinosaur discovered in clay pits just south of Dorking, England, and northern Spain. The major part of the skeleton of a juvenile specimen was found in England, while the Spanish fossils consist mainly of a partial skull and some fossil tracks. This dinosaur apparently ate fish because remains of its last meal were discovered fossilised in its ribcage. It has been dated to the Barremian period of Early Cretaceous Period, around 125 million years ago. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2560x1920, 2375 KB) Photographer: User:Ballista I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... The Natural History Museum from the south east The Natural History Museum, one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, Kensington, London (the others are the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum), is home to life and earth science collections comprising some 70 million items. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of the United Kingdom and the largest city of England (strangely, England has no constitutional existence within the United Kingdom, and therefore cannot be said to have a capital). ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... An ammonite fossil Eocene fossil fish of the genus Knightia Petrified wood fossil formed through permineralization. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera Subregnum Eumetazoa Placozoa Orthonectida Rhombozoa Radiata (unranked) Ctenophora Cnidaria Bilateria (unranked) Acoelomorpha Myxozoa Superphylum Deuterostomia Chordata Hemichordata Echinodermata Chaetognatha Xenoturbellida Superphylum Ecdysozoa Kinorhyncha Loricifera Priapulida Nematoda Nematomorpha Onychophora Tardigrada Arthropoda Superphylum Platyzoa Platyhelminthes Gastrotricha Rotifera Acanthocephala Gnathostomulida Micrognathozoa Cycliophora Superphylum Lophotrochozoa Sipuncula Nemertea Phoronida Ectoprocta Bryozoa... {{{subdivision_ranks}}} See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Clades Subclass Anapsida Subclass Diapsida Infraclass Lepidosauromorpha Infraclass Archosauromorpha Sauropsids are a diverse group of mostly egg-laying vertebrate animals. ... Orders Saurischia    Sauropodomorpha    Theropoda Ornithischia Dinosaurs are giant reptiles that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for most of their 165-million year existence. ... Groups Sauropodomorpha    Saturnalia    Prosauropoda    Sauropoda Theropoda    Eoraptor    Herrerasauridae    Ceratosauria    Tetanurae       Aves(extant) Saurischians (from the Greek Saurischia meaning lizard hip) are one of the two orders/branches of dinosaurs. ... Subdivisions ?Eoraptor Herrerasauria Coelophysoidea Ceratosauria Cryolophosaurus Spinosauridae Carnosauria Coelurosauria Theropods (beast foot) are a group of bipedal saurischian dinosaurs. ... Groups Cryolophosaurus Spinosauroidea     Megalosauridae     Spinosauridae     Torvosauridae Neotetanurae     Carnosauria     Coelurosauria // Definition Tetanurae, meaning stiff tails, was named by Gauthier (1986) for a large group of theropod dinosaurs. ... Spinosauridae is a subdivision of the Theropods. ... Spinosauridae is a subdivision of the Theropods. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Alan Jack Charig (July 1, 1927 - July 15, 1997) was an English palaeontologist and writer who popularised his subject on television and in books at the start of the wave of interest in dinosaurs in the 1970s. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This tigers sharp teeth and strong jaws are the classical physical traits expected from carnivorous mammalian predators A carnivore (IPA: ), meaning meat eater (Latin carne meaning flesh and vorare meaning to devour), is an animal that eats a diet consisting mainly of meat, whether it comes from live animals... Orders & Suborders Saurischia Sauropodomorpha Theropoda Ornithischia Thyreophora Ornithopoda Marginocephalia Dinosaurs were vertebrate animals that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for over 160 million years, first appearing approximately 230 million years ago. ... The Gay Head cliffs in Marthas Vineyard are made almost entirely of clay. ... Dorking is a market town nestling under the North Downs approximately 25 miles south of London, in Surrey in England. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... An ammonite fossil Eocene fossil fish of the genus Knightia Petrified wood fossil formed through permineralization. ... It has been suggested that temporal fenestra be merged into this article or section. ... A fossilized dinosaur footprint from a fossil trackway at Clayton Lake State Park, New Mexico. ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded; covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... An ammonite fossil Eocene fossil fish of the genus Knightia Petrified wood fossil formed through permineralization. ... This article is about the bones called ribs. ... The Barremian faunal stage was a period of geological time between 117 and 113 million years ago. ... The Cretaceous Period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic Period (i. ... A geologic period is a subdivision of geologic time that divides Eras into smaller timeframes. ... Mega-annum, usually abbreviated as Ma, is a unit of time equal to one million years. ...

Description

Baryonyx reconstruction - Natural History Museum, London.

Baryonyx was about 8 to 10 m long (26 to 33 ft), and around 3.6 m (12 ft) tall. It probably weighed in the region of 2,000 kg, but analysis of the bones suggests that the most complete specimen was not yet fully grown. Full grown Baryonyx could reach at 12 m long (40 ft), 5 m (16 ft) tall and 3,600 kg. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1636x793, 802 KB) Photographer: User:Ballista I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1636x793, 802 KB) Photographer: User:Ballista I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... The Natural History Museum from the south east The Natural History Museum, one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, Kensington, London (the others are the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum), is home to life and earth science collections comprising some 70 million items. ...

Like the dromaeosaurids, the creature had a long curved claw, but instead on the feet, it had on the thumb of each hand, which measured at about 31 cm (12 in). Genera Achillobator Adasaurus Bambiraptor Cryptovolans Dromaeosaurus Deinonychus Gracilraptor Microraptor Pyroraptor Saurornitholestes Sinornithosaurus Utahraptor Variraptor Velociraptor Among the dinosaurs, the Dromaeosaurids or Dromaeosauridae (running lizards) were fast and agile dominant carnivores throughout the Cretaceous period. ... Human right hand The hands (med. ...

The long neck was not as strongly S-curved as in many other theropods. The skull was set at an acute angle, not the 90° angle common in similar dinosaurs. The long jaw was distinctly crocodilian, and had 96 teeth, twice as many as its relatives. Sixty-four of the teeth were placed in the lower jaw (mandible), and 32 large ones in the upper (maxilla). The snout probably bore a small crest. The upper jaw had a sharp angle near the snout, a feature seen in crocodiles that helps to prevent prey from escaping, and a similar feature is also seen in shrikes. It has been suggested that temporal fenestra be merged into this article or section. ... An angle is the figure formed by two rays sharing a common endpoint, called the vertex of the angle. ... Genera Mecistops Crocodylus Osteolaemus See full taxonomy. ... Genera Lanius Eurocephalus Corvinella A shrike is a passerine bird of the family Laniidae which is known for its habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns, so that it can tear them into smaller, more conveniently-sized fragments. ...

Fish-eater

The crocodile-like jaws and large number of finely serrated teeth suggested to scientists that Baryonyx was a fish-eater. As confirmation, a number of scales and bones from the fish Lepidotes were also discovered in the body cavity of the English specimen. Lepidotes is an extinct genus of ray-finned fish from the Mesozoic era. ...

It is speculated that Baryonyx would sit on a riverbank, resting on its powerful front legs, and then sweep fish from the river with its powerful striking claw. This is similar to the modern grizzly bear. The long but low stance and angled head support this theory. // Trinomial name Ursus arctos horribilis (Ord, 1815) Current and historical range of the Grizzly Bear in North America The Grizzly Bear, sometimes called the Silvertip Bear, is a powerful brownish-yellow bear that lives in the uplands of western North America. ...

Until the discovery of the closely-related Suchomimus, Baryonyx was the only known piscivorous (fish-eating) dinosaur. On the other hand, bones of an Iguanodon were also found in association with the Baryonyx skeleton. Although not definitive proof, it seems possible that Baryonyx scavenged any extra meat it could find. Binomial name Suchomimus tenerensis Sereno , 1998 Suchomimus (crocodile mimic) was a large, meat-eating dinosaur with a crocodile-like mouth that lived 110 to 120 million years ago, during the middle Cretaceous period. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... Species (neotype) (holotype) Iguanodon is a genus of ornithopod dinosaurs. ... Harvestman eating the tail of a five-lined skink The word scavenger, in zoology, refers to animals that consume already dead organic life-forms. ...

Discovery

During the early Cretaceous, Wealden Lake covered the majority of what is now northern Europe. Alluvial plains and deltas spread from the uplands surrounding the area where London now stands and eventually ran into this great lake. The Cretaceous Period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic Period (i. ... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... An alluvial plain is a relatively flat and gently sloping landform found at the base of a range of hills. ... Nile River delta, as seen from Earth orbit. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of the United Kingdom and the largest city of England (strangely, England has no constitutional existence within the United Kingdom, and therefore cannot be said to have a capital). ...

Baryonyx was discovered in these former deltas. In January 1983, an amateur fossil hunter named William Walker came across an enormous claw sticking out the side of a clay pit, Smokejacks Pit at Wallis Wood, Ockley near Dorking in Surrey. He received some help in retrieving the specimen, which was surprisingly intact. 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... William Walker may refer to: William Walker (composer) (1809–1875), composer in the shape note tradition, author of Southern Harmony William Walker (diplomat), U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, 1988–1992; leader of the Kosovo Verification Mission William Walker (diver) (1869-1918), the diver who saved Winchester Cathedral from collapse... Dorking is a market town nestling under the North Downs approximately 25 miles south of London, in Surrey in England. ... Surrey is a county in southern England, part of the South East England region and one of the Home Counties. ...

The skeleton was passed to Alan J. Charig and Angela C. Milner of the Natural History Museum in London. They published their description of the type species, B. walkeri, in 1986, and named it after Walker. Alan Jack Charig (July 1, 1927 - July 15, 1997) was an English palaeontologist and writer who popularised his subject on television and in books at the start of the wave of interest in dinosaurs in the 1970s. ... The Natural History Museum from the south east The Natural History Museum, one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, Kensington, London (the others are the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum), is home to life and earth science collections comprising some 70 million items. ... Type specimens When a new species is discovered, more important than creating a new and unique name for the species is developing a reasonably detailed description. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

About 70% of the skeleton was recovered, including the skull. Therefore palaeontologists can make many useful deductions about Baryonyx from just a single find. The skeleton can be seen at the Natural History Museum in London. London (pronounced ) is the capital city of the United Kingdom and the largest city of England (strangely, England has no constitutional existence within the United Kingdom, and therefore cannot be said to have a capital). ...

Some years after the discovery in England, a partial skull of Baryonyx was found in the Sala de los Infantes deposit of Burgos Province, Spain. Some of the famous and abundant dinosaur fossil tracks of La Rioja, near Burgos, have been identifying as tracks of Baryonyx or other theropod genus, very similar to it. Burgos province Burgos Coat of Arms Flag of Burgos province Burgos is a province of northern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. ... La Rioja is a province and autonomous community of northern Spain. ...

Classification

There is little debate about classification. There is a similarity to the tetanuran Becklespinax, but there is no evidence that Baryonyx had similar elongated spines on the back of its neck. Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Another crocodile-like fish-eater, Suchomimus, was described in 1998, and placed in the same subfamily (Baryonychinae). It has recently been suggested (Hutt, 2004) that Suchomimus tenerensis should be redefined as Baryonyx tenerensis due to similarities in their vertebrae. The subfamily Baryonychinae is a subdivision of the family Spinosauridae, which contains other giant Cretaceous forms from Africa and South America like the genera Spinosaurus and Irritator. Probably, spinosaurids appeared in the ancient austral continent of Gondwana and had its major diversification in Africa, colonizing Western Europe through the Iberian Peninsula later. ... A diagram of a thoracic vertebra. ... A family in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in 1997 A family consists of a domestic group of people (or a number of domestic groups), typically affiliated by birth or marriage, or by analogous or comparable relationships — including domestic partnership, cohabitation, adoption, surname and (in some cases) ownership (as occurred in the... Spinosauridae is a subdivision of the Theropods. ... The Cretaceous Period is one of the major divisions of the geologic timescale, reaching from the end of the Jurassic Period (i. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Species (type) ? Russell, 1996 Spinosaurus (meaning spine lizard) was a theropod dinosaur genus that lived in what is now Egypt, from the Albian to early Cenomanian stages of the Cretaceous Period, about 95 to 93 million years ago. ... Irritator challengeri is a dinosaur related to Spinosaurus. ... Pangaea was formed by the merging of two continents, Laurasia and Gondwana East African and Kuungan Orogens 550 Ma reconstruction showing final stages of assembly The southern supercontinent Gondwana (originally Gondwanaland) included most of the landmasses which make up todays continents of the southern hemisphere, including Antarctica, South America... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe. ...

References

• Paul Barrett and José Luis Sanz. "Larousse de los Dinosaurios", Larousse, 2000.

• Steve Hutt and Penny Newbery. "A new look at Baryonyx walkeri (Charig and Milner, 1986) based upon a recent fossil find from the Wealden" (2004), from the Symposium of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Comparative Anatomy. (abstract)

• Benton MJ, Spencer PS (1995). Fossil Reptiles of Great Britain. Chapman & Hall. ISBN 0-412-62040-5.

External links

• "Baryonyx". DinoData.

• Many teeth from this species can be found on the Isle of Wight.
• Baryonyx walkeri
• Baryonyx in Dinosauriomanía (Spanish)