Elopteryx

marsh wing

• helos / elos · Greek · marsh
• pteryx · Greek · wing

The name combines Greek roots for "marsh" and "wing". It was given by Charles Andrews in 1913 to fragmentary bones from Romania that he thought belonged to a large, pelican-like water bird, hence the marsh reference. Later work suggests the bones belong to a small theropod dinosaur, probably a troodontid, rather than a bird.

Named by

Andrews

Year named

1913

Period

Late Cretaceous

Stage

Maastrichtian

Found in

Sânpetru Formation, Hațeg Basin, Transylvania, Romania

The type species is Elopteryx nopcsai. The material is fragmentary and was originally interpreted as a bird. It is now generally regarded as a nomen dubium, a non-avian theropod of uncertain affinities, possibly a troodontid. Treat the exact etymology wording and the classification as moderately certain.