Titanosaurus Facts and Figures

Titanosaurus Facts and Figures Name: Titanosaurus (Greek for Titan lizard); pronounced tie-TAN-oh-SORE-us Habitat: Woodlands of Asia, Europe, and Africa Historical Period: Late Cretaceous (80-65 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 50 feet long and 15 tons Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Short, thick legs; massive trunk; rows of bony plates on the back About Titanosaurus Titanosaurus is the signature member of the family of dinosaurs known as titanosaurs, which were the last sauropods to roam the earth before the K/T Extinction 65 million years ago. Whats odd is that, although paleontologists have discovered plenty of titanosaurs- the remains of these giant beasts have been dug up all over the globe- theyre not so sure about the status of Titanosaurus: this dinosaur is known from very limited fossil remains, and to date, no one has located its kull. This seems to be a trend in the dinosaur world; for example, hadrosaurs (duck-billed dinosaurs) are named after the extremely obscure Hadrosaurus, and the aquatic reptiles known as pliosaurs are named after the equally murky Pliosaurus. Titanosaurus was discovered very early in dinosaur history, identified in 1877 by paleontologist Richard Lydekker on the basis of scattered bones unearthed in India (not normally a hotbed of fossil discovery). Over the next few decades, Titanosaurus became a wastebasket taxon, meaning that any dinosaur that even remotely resembled it wound up being assigned as a separate species. Today, all but one of these species have either been downgraded or promoted to genus status: for example, T. colberti is now known as Isisaurus, T. australis as Neuquensaurus, and T. dacus as Magyarosaurus. (The one remaining valid species of Titanosaurus, which still remains on very shaky ground, is T. indicus.) Lately, titanosaurs (but not Titanosaurus) have been generating headlines, as bigger and bigger specimens have been discovered in South America. The largest dinosaur yet known is a South American titanosaur, Argentinosaurus, but the recent announcement of the evocatively named Dreadnoughtus may imperil its place in the record books. There are also a few as-yet-unidentified titanosaur specimens that may have been even bigger, but we can only know for sure pending further study by experts.

Eponymous Revisited

Eponymous Revisited Eponymous Revisited Eponymous Revisited By Maeve Maddox A reader asks, What is it with eponymous? I never understand its use. Eponymous is the adjective form of the noun eponym. It derives from the Greek combination epi (upon) + onyma (name). eponym noun: one who gives, or is supposed to give, his name to a people, place, or institution. The earliest application of eponymous was in the context of the names of countries, tribes, and nations. For example: Brutus, or  Brute of Troy, is a legendary descendant of the Trojan hero Aeneas, known in medieval British legend as the eponymous founder and first king of Britain.   Consider the case of  Pelops, the  eponymous  hero of the  Peloponnese. First, at this stage Jacob is not yet  the eponymous hero of  a united Israel, but only of the Northern Kingdom. [Jacob was given the name Israel when he wrestled the angel.]    In current usage, the phrase â€Å"eponymous hero† usually applies to the character for which a literary work is named. For example: Hot-Blooded Paolo is  the eponymous hero of  the novel Paolo  il Caldo (1964) by Vitaliano Brancati. On the universality of the westerner, exemplified by  the eponymous hero of  George Stevens’s Shane (1953), see Warshow, 150-151. The eponymous hero of  Goncharovs Oblomov (1858), who is unable to motivate himself to leave his bed, is the epitome of the passive hero.   American actress Betty Bronson starred as  the eponymous hero of  the film Peter Pan (1924). Eponymous can apply to anything that takes its name from a person. For example: Tesla  invented his  eponymous  coil in 1891.   Website of New York City designer Nancy Rose and her  eponymous designer sportswear. As for  John Birch, well never know what he would have thought of his  eponymous society. Note: I found several examples of the misspelling epynonymous. Related posts: The Eponymy Family 30 Words Inspired by 29 People and An Elephant Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Signs and Symbols You Should KnowThat vs. Which10 Tips to Improve Your Writing Skills