Cricotus

Cricotus is an extinct genus of Embolomeri. It was erected by Cope in 1875,^[1] on the basis of fragmentary, not clearly associated remains including caudal vertebrae, on which the name was established (in fact, based on a single intercentrum), as well as a few other postcranial bones. It was little-used in the subsequent literature, contrary to Archeria, which appears to be a junior synonym of Cricotus. However, given that the type species of Cricotus (C. heteroclitus) is a nomen dubium, the name Cricotus is unavailable. This led to Holmes^[2] suggesting using the name Archeria for this taxon, though he provided no evidence that he made a formal appeal to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature for this (and presumably did not do so).

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Cricotus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Order:	†Embolomeri
Family:	†Archeriidae
Genus:	†Cricotus Cope, 1875
Type species
†Cricotus heteroclitus (nomen dubium) Cope, 1875

A skeleton of Cricotus crassidens (specimen AMNH 4550)

Detail of the skull and limbs of AMNH 4550

Illustration of the skull and ventral scutes of Cricotus heteroclitus by Edward Drinker Cope.