Re: TRICERATOPS AND PSITTACOSAURUS ARE NOT OVERSPLIT

["Steve Brusatte" <dinoland@lycos.com>]

On Thu, 8 Mar 2001 13:44:01   
 Alessandro Marisa wrote:

>In view of this Sereno included the following species in the genus
>Psittacosaurus: P. mongoliensis, P. sinensis, P. xinjiangensis, P.
>meileyingensis, P. neimongoliensis and P. ordosensis.
>

Thanks for pointing this out, as I have not yet been able to get my hands on 
that book (I hope to...).

P. neimongoliensis and P. ordosensis were both (if I recall correctly) 
described after Sereno's 1990 analysis in _Dinosaur Systematics._  Therefore, 
this most recent study in the Russia/Mongolia book is much more up-to-date, 
and, therefore, is what I should base my posts on.  Unfortunately, as I said, I 
haven't read it yet.  

However, I still think that six species of Psittacosaurus was an awful large 
amount, especially if they were the same general size and had the same general 
diet.  P. neimongoliensis is very similar to P. mongoliensis, judging by what I 
have read.  Some of these similarities have been mentioned in previous posts.  
These two may be prime candidates for grouping.  However, this is just based on 
my readings and no examination of the specimens whatsoever.  

I was able to see several Psittacosaurus fossils at Dinofest, and another while 
in Italy.  I was not able to actually study them, though.  I would be very 
interested in doing so, if the opportunity arose.  

Steve

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