Poekilopleuron, meaning “varied ribs”, is a genus megalosaurid dinosaur that lived in the middle Bathonian, approximately 168 to 162 million years ago. Although the genus has been called many things, only Poekilopleuron is still valid. P. bucklandii is the type species, which was named after William Buckland. Many junior synonyms have been erected. Although many casts of the material are still available, very little material is known.

Ghedoghedo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Poekilopleuron, a genus for theropods with a complex and long history, is Poekilopleuron. In 1836, Jacques-Amand Eudes-Deslongchamps published a report that described the genus. It was based on holotype material which is now lost. Eudes-Deslongchamps published an even more detailed account in 1837. This monograph was also included next year in the “Memoires De la Societe Normandie” volume 6.

The holotype, housed at Musee de la Faculte des Sciences de Caen, was destroyed by World War II and included gastralia and phalanges. It also contained a left forelimb and caudal vertebrae. Chevrons, ribs, and chevrons. Few pieces of the original material are still available. However, the casts of the gastralia and forelimb (specimen MNHN-1897-2) and Yale Peabody Museum’s (specimen YPM4938) represent the plastotype. In Normandy, France, the original material was found in a Calcaire de Caen layer. Poekilopleuron is a middle Bathonian of age, approximately 167.7 to 163 million years ago.

The type species of Poekilopleuron was also identified by Eudes-Deslongchamps in the 1836 publication. Eudes-Deslongchamps noticed similarities between some Megalosaurus bucklandii material and Poekilopleuron and so he chose the species name bucklandii to Poekilopleuron. This was in order that if both genera were synonymousized, the genus name could be kept secret. The Greek poikilos (poikilos), “varied” and pleuron (pleuron), “rib” are the names of the generic name. This refers to the three types present in rib. The name of William Buckland was chosen to be identical to Megalosaurus bucklandii’s specific name.

Source: Wikipedia