Re: Lizards with deltopectoral crests?

["Nick Gardner" <ratites637@hotmail.com>]

David R. Peters wrote-
> If anyone knows whether Chlamydosaurus is unique in this regard, or not,
> I would be happy to hear from them.  Just how widespread are those
> squarish deltopectoral crests?

The dpc appears to be low and subtriangular in Scleromochlus (Benton, 1999), 
low and gently bump-like in Megalancosaurus (Paul 2002, Harris & Downs 
2002), and rather subtriangular in Longisquama (Peters 2003).  I don't know 
anything about the condition in lepidosauromorphs.  As far as pterosaurs go, 
indeterminate in Austriadactylus (Dalla Vecchia et al. 2002); triangular in 
Jeholopterus, Preondactylus, Peteinosaurus, and Dimorphodon; squarish in 
Batrachognathus and Anurognathus; and rounded in Dendrorhynchoides (Dalla 
Vecchia 2002).

> On a secondary note, I've been impressed by the similarity in overall
> body shape of Longisquama + the most basal pterosaurs to modern lemurs.
> Short cervical series. Tail elevated at a high angle from the dorsal
> series. Etc. This convergence, of course, gives further credence to
> Bennett's modern hypothesis of an arboreal leaping origin to pterosaurs
> which follows similar hypotheses from decades ago. If anyone would like
> to discuss these convergences we can do so, either privately or
> publicly.

Do you have a reference for Bennett's hypothesis? I'm currently looking for 
pterosaur and prolacertiform papers and would like to know what's out there 
as I'm looking.  I think we should have a public discussion.

Are there any pterosaur mailing lists out there, similar to the DML, except 
for pterosaurs?

I've noticed that people also often state that some of the new Chinese 
dromaeosaurs are lemur-like (Microraptor zhaoianus and NGMC 91, for 
example).  Are their cervical series shorter than most other eumaniraptorans 
as well? Just a curiousity, I know it's irrelevant to the current 
discussion.


Nick Gardner
paleoartist
aim Eoraptor22

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