A new theropod and an old sauropod

[acp002@mcdaniel.edu]

Just wanted to make note of two news items I spotted today.  

FIRST OFF, we have an isolated caudal referred to a new theropod genus from the 
LK Kem Kem Beds.  Introducing Kemkemia auditorei: 

Cau A. & Maganuco S., 2009 - A new theropod dinosaur, represented by a single 
unusual caudal vertebra, from the Kem Kem Beds (Cretaceous) of Morocco. Atti 
della Società Italiana di Scienze Naturali e del Museo Civico di Storia 
Naturale di Milano, 150(II): 239-257.

We describe a near-complete distal caudal vertebra from an Upper Cretaceous 
theropod, discovered in the Kem Kem Beds (Cenomanian) of Tafi lalt, Morocco. 
The specimen exhibits an extremely unusual combination of features, and we 
herein erect a new species, Kemkemia auditorei gen. et sp. nov. The specimen 
differs from other theropod distal caudal vertebrae in the presence of a 
relatively inflated neural canal, strongly reduced zygapophyses, a low but very 
robust neural spine bearing shallow lateral fossae, a mediolaterally concave 
dorsal surface of the neural spine, and coalescence of the postzygapophyses in 
a position more proximal than the region where neural spines are absent. 
Although Kemkemia shares some derived features with neoceratosaurs, we 
provisionally refer it to Neotheropoda incertae sedis, pending the discovery of 
more complete material. Several distal caudal vertebrae from the Maastricthian 
of India are similar to Kemkemia, and may belong to a closely related taxon.

Describer Andrea Cau has a series of posts going up on Kemkemia at his blog: 
theropoda.blogspot.com.


NEXT OFF, I noticed a series of small articles on an upcoming dinosaur 
exhibition in Tokyo.  The centerpiece is heralded as the biggest dinosaur 
skeleton mounted: a Mamenchisaurus mount 35 meters long! The article at this 
address (http://www.kwtx.com/offbeatnews/headlines/50659302.html) includes some 
comments by Yuji Takakuwa that indicate that this animal is indeed based on 
real evidence, though how complete the actual fossils are is not mentioned.

Adam Pritchard
acp002@mcdaniel.edu