TYPE LOCALITY OF LIODON DYSPELOR COPE (REPTILIA, MOSASAURIDAE)

The type material of the mosasaur Liodon dyspelor Cope was supposed to be from near Fort McRae, New Mexico. All available evidence (geologic al, chemical, and documentary), suggests that it came from elsewhere. The purported locality has no rocks of the proper age nor any matching the composition of the matrix, which is identical to the Niobrara For mation (chalk) of Kansas. Documents in the National Archives and the S mithsonian Institution indicate that the type material is nor the same specimen that was shipped by Dr. W. B. Lyon, the donor of record. We speculate that it came from Kansas chalk beds and was mislabeled in tr ansit or during laboratory processing.