Bashunosaurus

["Tim Williams" <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Thanks to the Polyglot Paleontologist website 
(www.uhmc.sunysb.edu/anatomicalsci.paleo), I have been able to peruse the 
description of the sauropod _Abrosaurus dongpoensis_ translated by Will 
Downs.  No figures, alas.

The reference:

Ouyang Hui (1998).  A new sauropod from Dashanpu, Zigong Co., Sichuan 
Province (_Abrosaurus dongpoensis_ gen. et sp. nov.).  Zigong Dinosaur 
Museum Newsletter 2:10-14.

Ouyang Hui refers _Abrosaurus_ to the Camarasauridae.  Based on the text 
alone, it's difficult to pin down its affinities.  The enlarged narial 
openings is not just a macronarian character, having also been found in 
_Jobaria_.  The author points out several primitive prosauropod-like 
characters.  Anyway, my knowledge of the cranial anatomy of sauropods is 
awful, so I'll hold off on further musing.

Interestingly, the description mentions a new sauropod genus, Bashunosaurus, 
from the same Dashanpu quarry:  "Another sauropod genus from the Dashanpu 
quarry, Bashunosaurus, is represented by a damaged skull.  However, after 
restoration, it appears to be generally consistent with Omeisaurus although 
its maxillary morphology is more consistent with Shunosaurus, it lacks a 
mandibular fenestra and has an even more reduced dentition, distinguishing 
it further from _Abrosaurus_."

I would hazard a guess that "Bashunosaurus" is still a nomen dubium; but 
after the kafuffle surrounding the status of _Abrosaurus_, maybe the 
description is lurking in some obscure Chinese pamphlet or newsletter.


Tim


------------------------------------------------------------

Timothy J. Williams

USDA/ARS Researcher
Agronomy Hall
Iowa State University
Ames IA 50014

Phone: 515 294 9233
Fax:   515 294 3163

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