Tichosteus

wall bone

• tîchos · Greek · wall
• osteon · Greek · bone

The name combines the Greek words 'tîchos' (τεῖχος, wall) and 'osteon' (ὀστέον, bone), referring to the dense, wall-like compact bone tissue observed in the vertebrae that were used to describe the genus. It was named by Edward Drinker Cope in 1877. The distinctive bone microstructure of the type material was the primary feature that inspired the name.

Named by

Cope

Year named

1877

Period

Late Jurassic

Stages

Kimmeridgian – Tithonian

Found in

Morrison Formation, Colorado, USA

Tichosteus is generally regarded as a nomen dubium. It was founded on fragmentary vertebrae from the Morrison Formation, and the material is too incomplete and non-diagnostic to confidently assign to any known dinosaur group. Some researchers have tentatively suggested affinities with coelurosaurs or other theropods, but this remains unresolved. The dense, wall-like bone structure of the specimens was the key feature Cope used to distinguish the genus, though this alone is insufficient for a reliable diagnosis.