New Refs

["Jerry D. Harris" <jharris@dixie.edu>]

Zhou, S.-Q., Feng, Z.-J., and Hiu, Y.-X. 2001. A study of dinosaurian fossil 
eggs from the Xixia Basin, Henan. Jiangxi Geology 15(2):96-101.


Wang, L., Li, L., Duan, Y., and Cheng, S.L. 2006. A new iodactylid pterosaur 
from western Liaoning, China. Geological Bulletin of China 25(6):737-740. 
(That should read "istiodactylid," but doesn't for some reason in the 
paper...new taxon: _Longchengpterus zhaoi_ from the Jiufotang Fm.)


Li, Y.-F., Cai, H.-A., Liang, H.-D., Zhang, J., Mei, Y.-Q., and Zhang, H.-G. 
2006. A study on the macro mineral compositions of the dinosaur egg fossils 
in the Late Cretaceous collected from Xixia Basin, Henan Province. Journal 
of Jilin University (Earth Sciences) 36(2):158-168.


Wang, Q., Zan, S.-Q., Jin, L.-Y., and Chen, J. 2006. A new oospecies, 
_Dictyoolithus gongzhulingensis_, from the Early Cretaceous Quantou 
Formation in central Jilin Province. Journal of Jilin University (Earth 
Sciences) 36(2):154-157.


Martill, D.M., Frey, E., Bell, C.M., and Diaz, G.C. 2006. Ctenochasmatid 
pterosaurs from Early Cretaceous deposits in Chile. Cretaceous Research 
27(5):603-610. doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2006.03.002.

ABSTRACT: Fragmentary pterosaur remains from the Early Cretaceous Quebrada 
Monardes Formation of northern Chile are assigned to Ctenochasmatidae. 
Although not immediately referable to recognised genera, they differ from 
other South American occurrences of ctenochasmids and appear to share 
features of the dentition with Ctenochasma and Gnathosaurus from Late 
Jurassic deposits in Europe. A slightly spatulate rostrum may hint at 
affinities with the gnathosaurine ctenochasmatid Gnathosaurus. The presence 
of a possible gnathosaurine in South America is further evidence for a 
Hispanic corridor allowing faunal interchange between South America and 
Eurasia during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous.


Evans, S.E., Raia, P., and Barbera, C. 2006. The Lower Cretaceous lizard 
genus Chometokadmon from Italy. Cretaceous Research 27(5):673-683. doi: 
10.1016/j.cretres.2006.03.004.

ABSTRACT: The Lower Cretaceous (Albian) locality of Pietraroia, Italy, has 
yielded a rich and diverse assemblage of fossil vertebrates, including at 
least one genus of rhynchocephalian (Derasmosaurus) and three named lizards 
(Chometokadmon, Costasaurus and Eichstaettisaurus). The type and only 
specimen of Chometokadmon is well-preserved but has never been 
comprehensively described or assessed. It was mistakenly classified as a 
sphenodontian for many years, but detailed reanalysis has shown that 
Chometokadmon is a squamate. The genus has a relatively unspecialised 
postcranial skeleton, but the skull is distinctive in having an elongated 
parietal, expanded squamosal, recurved teeth, and cranial osteoderms. A 
combination of cranial and postcranial characters (including separable 
cranial osteoderms, an elongate supratemporal, tooth and pubic morphology) 
supports a relationship with Anguimorpha, a hypothesis corroborated by 
cladistic analysis.


Smith, J.B., and Dalla Vecchia, F.M. 2006. An abelisaurid (Dinosauria: 
Theropoda) tooth from the Lower Cretaceous Chicla formation of Libya. 
Journal of African Earth Sciences 46(3):240-244. doi: 
10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2006.05.007.

ABSTRACT: An isolated theropod dinosaur tooth discovered in 1984 near Nalut 
in northwestern Libya is the only known dinosaur record from the 
Aptian-Albian (Lower Cretaceous) Chicla Formation in the Jabal Nafusah 
region of the country. The tooth was re-examined in an effort to better 
ascertain its taxonomic affinities. A stepwise discriminant function 
analysis compared the Libyan tooth to the dentitions of 24 other theropods 
and classified the tooth with cranial material from the Late Cretaceous of 
India previously referred to the abelisaurid Indosuchus. The temporal and 
paleogeographic "distance" separating the Libyan specimen from "Indosuchus" 
indicates that the former cannot pertain to that genus. However, the results 
of the analysis and synapomorphies of Abelisauridae present on the Libyan 
crown indicate that it can be referred to the clade, thus contributing to 
the growing record of Abelisauridae in the Cretaceous of mainland Africa.


Ksepka, D.T., Bertelli, S., and Giannini, N.P. 2006. The phylogeny of the 
living and fossil Sphenisciformes (penguins). Cladistics 22(5):412-441. doi: 
10.1111/j.1096-0031.2006.00116.x.

ABSTRACT: We present the first phylogenetic analysis of the Sphenisciformes 
that extensively samples fossil taxa. Combined analysis of 181 morphological 
characters and sequence fragments from mitochondrial and nuclear genes (12S, 
16S, COI, cytochrome b, RAG-1) yields a largely resolved tree. Two species 
of the New Zealand Waimanu form a trichotomy with all other penguins in our 
result. The much discussed giant penguins Anthropornis and Pachydyptes are 
placed in two clades near the base of the tree. Stratigraphic and 
phylogenetic evidence suggest that some lineages of penguins attained very 
large body size rapidly and early in the clade's evolutionary history. The 
only fossil taxa that fall inside the crown clade Spheniscidae are fossil 
species assigned to the genus Spheniscus. Thus, extant penguin diversity is 
more accurately viewed as the product of a successful radiation of derived 
taxa than as an assemblage of survivors belonging to numerous lineages. The 
success of the Spheniscidae may be due to novel feeding adaptations and a 
more derived flipper apparatus. We offer a biogeographical scenario for 
penguins that incorporates fossil distributions and paleogeographic 
reconstructions of the Southern continent's positions. Our results do not 
support an expansion of the Spheniscidae from a cooling Continental 
Antarctica, but instead suggest those species that currently breed in that 
area are the descendants of colonizers from the Subantarctic. Many important 
divergence events in the clade Spheniscidae can instead be explained by 
dispersal along the paths of major ocean currents and the emergence of new 
islands due to tectonic events.


Barco, J.L. 2006. New data on Therangospodus oncalensis from the Berriasian 
Fuentesalvo Tracksite (Villar del Río, Soria, Spain): an example of 
gregarious behaviour in theropod dinosaurs. Ichnos 13(4):237-248. doi: 
10.1080/10420940600843682.

ABSTRACT: Therangospodus oncalensis is a Berriasian theropod ichnotaxon from 
the Cameros Basin (Soria Province, Spain). We discovered new trackways 
assigned to this ichnotaxon during cleaning and conservation works at the 
type locality (Fuentesalvo), enabling us to describe it more precisely. 
Therangospodus oncalensis was made by a medium-sized theropod dinosaur and 
is characterized by a single tapering pad on each toe, a rounded heel 
impression and a narrow trackway. In addition to having similar morphometric 
characteristics, most of the trackways at the Fuentesalvo site show 
comparable size and biometric features. This indicates that, in terms of 
size and age, a homogeneous population of a single theropod species could 
have produced these tracks. Moreover, the similar orientation (lying within 
a range of only 15°) and estimated speed suggested by most of the trackways, 
lend weight to the hypothesis that the trackmaker of Therangospodus 
oncalensis was able, at least at times, to move in structured packs 
displaying gregarious behaviour. Furthermore, this is the first structured 
pack of theropods to be described.


Fröbisch, N.B., and Fröbisch, J. 2006. A new basal pterosaur genus from the 
Upper Triassic of the Northern Calcareous Alps of Switzerland. Palaeontology 
49(5):1081-1090. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2006.00581.x.

ABSTRACT: A lower jaw with multicusped teeth and a number of unique 
characteristics was discovered in an extensive exposure of the Upper 
Triassic Kössen Formation in the Northern Calcareous Alps. The ramus of the 
jaw is high and dominated by a row of large, oval foramina that lies 
parallel to the tooth row. In addition, the anterior portion of the dentary 
exhibits a large number of nutritive foramina and small pits, which might 
indicate an association with a soft tissue structure and/or the presence of 
a keratinous cover of that area during life. All elements of the jaw are 
thin-walled and hollow, possibly pneumatic. Two teeth are preserved within 
the dentary. One is tricuspid and the other bears four cusps. The teeth are 
noticeably small in comparison with the overall size of the ramus, being 
only one-third of the height of the ramus. The teeth show a strong 
similarity to those of the well-known basal pterosaur genus Eudimorphodon, 
whose jaw morphology, however, clearly differs from the specimen described 
in this study. The dentition and the pneumatic bone structure make an 
assignment to the Pterosauria plausible. Based on the great number of 
distinct morphological characters the specimen is described as Caviramus 
schesaplanensis gen. et sp. nov.


Senter, P. 2006. Forelimb function in Ornitholestes hermanni Osborn 
(Dinosauria, Theropoda). Palaeontology 49(5):1029-1034. doi: 
10.1111/j.1475-4983.2006.00585.x.

ABSTRACT: Ornitholestes hermanni is a Late Jurassic theropod dinosaur from 
North America. This kinematic study of Ornitholestes uses manual 
manipulations of forelimb casts to determine range of motion. The manual 
phalanges of the O. hermanni holotype, previously unidentified, are here 
identified as phalanges I-1, I-2 (ungual), II-2 and II-3 (ungual). At all 
represented manual joints, hyperextensibility is small or absent, whereas 
flexion is strong, as in most other theropods. The elbow can be strongly 
flexed beyond a right angle. When data on range of forelimb motion in 
Ornitholestes are added to such data from other theropods, high elbow 
flexion is present in maniraptoriform coelurosaurs but not in basal 
theropods. Forelimb functions requiring strong elbow flexion (such as 
holding objects to the chest, or tucking the forearms in for their 
protection or to reduce wind resistance or heat loss) were therefore 
available to maniraptoriform coelurosaurs but not to basal theropods.