In 1832 however, the German paleontologist Christian Erich Hermann von Meyer split the material. "Steneosaurus rostrominor" was renamed "Metriorhynchus geoffroyii" while "Steneosaurus rostromajor" became "Streptospondylus altdorfensis". To the last species the theropod remains were referred. The generic name is derived from Greek "στρεπτος"/"streptos", "reversed", and "σπονδυλος"/"spondylos", "vertebra", alluding to the fact that the vertebrae differed from typical crocodile elements in being opisthocoel: convex in front and concave behind. The specific name refers to Altdorf where some teleosaurid remains had also been found. Von Meyer's name was the first binomial name (also) referring to a theropod.