Altispinax

• Sussex, United Kingdom

• Altispinax dunkeri

Altispinax ( = " high spine " ) is a genus of Spinosauridae, which was first described by Dames on the basis of a single tooth as Megalosaurus dunkeri. Due to the sparse fossil material Altispinax is now considered noun dubium and is not appropriately recognized scientifically.

Controversy surrounding the description

Friedrich von Huene placed this species in 1923 he created new genus Altispinax as Altispinax dunkeri and took it with respect to this type also attributed vertebrae, which were characterized by long thorns. The latter were found in England in 1884 and described by a collector named Samuel H. Beckles. According to today's view, however, these were not of this type, but to a Carnosauria, which was described according to 1991 by George Olshevsky and named after the fossil collectors as Becklespinax. Other fossils, which were also associated Altispinax, are now assigned to other species, including about Baryonyx, Metriacanthosaurus and Valdo Raptor.