Re: Apatosaurus vs Brontosaurus

[Mike Taylor <mike@indexdata.com>]

> Date: Mon, 24 May 2004 10:56:03 -0500
> From: Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>
> 
> I would add that the taxonomy of the three _Apatosaurus_ species
> (_ajax_, _excelsus_, louisae_) is currently unresolved.
> [...]
> The third species, _A. louisae_ (for which a skull is known), was
> previously distinguished from the other two species based on
> vertebral characters (forward expansion on the cervical ribs in
> _ajax_ and _excelsus_ and the lack of this expansion in _ louisae_).
> However, the diagnostic nature of this character has recently been
> called into question...
> [...]
> Wedel, M.J. and Sanders, R.K. (2002). Osteological correlates of
> cervical musculature in Aves and Sauropoda (Dinosauria: Saurischia),
> with comments on the cervical ribs of _Apatosaurus_.  PaleoBios
> 22(3): 1-6.
> [...]
> Thus, it may be that all three _Apatosaurus_ species could be
> combined into one species: _A. ajax_, with _excelsus_ and _louisae_
> as junior synonyms.

Matt's not on this list any more, but he occasionally reads the odd
message or two, and asked me to pass this on:

> Date: Tue, 25 May 2004 14:40:53 -0700
> From: Matt Wedel <sauropod@socrates.Berkeley.EDU>
> 
> Whoa, hoss.  Kent and I shot down _one_ character that supports A.
> louisae as distinct from A. excelsus.  That still leaves 15 or so by
> Gilmore's count.  Feel free to alert the list if you deem it of
> sufficient interest.

So it looks like we still have at least two legitimate _Apatosaurus_
species.

 _/|_    _______________________________________________________________
/o ) \/  Mike Taylor  <mike@indexdata.com>  http://www.miketaylor.org.uk
)_v__/\  "I do not even own _a_ gun; let alone _many_ guns, that would
         necessitate an entire rack" -- Mike Myers, "Wayne's World"

--
Listen to free demos of soundtrack music for film, TV and radio
        http://www.pipedreaming.org.uk/soundtrack/