THE PODOKESAURUS PROJECT: REDISCOVERING HOLYOKE’S SWIFT-FOOTED LIZARD

Podokesaurus holyokensis is a theropod dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of Massachusetts. The holotype specimen was described in 1911 by Mignon Talbot, making her the first woman to discover and name a non-avian dinosaur. Only six years later, this unique fossil was destroyed in a devastating fire. The Podokesaurus Project aims to compile a comprehensive history and review of the species, utilizing historical documents, publications, and photographs. Additionally, we intend to record and preserve extant materials, such as fossil casts and life models, through a thorough description of their quality and provenance, supplemented by digital 3D models.

Richard S. Lull was instrumental to the original interpretation and publication of the fossil, and a search of his personal correspondences with Talbot, Gerhard Heilmann, and others, archived at Yale University, revealed much previously unpublished information. This includes definitive dates for key events, such as the discovery and preparation of the fossil, alternative interpretations of its relationships and anatomy, and details on regions of the fossil not figured or described in the literature. Efforts to relocate the type locality have been fruitful, and organized searches for more material in the region are forthcoming. The project will culminate in a reinterpretation of Podokesaurus holyokensis, including a revised anatomical description and several phylogenetic analyses.