Re: Were dinosaur ecosystems continent-sized? (resend)

[Denver Fowler <df9465@yahoo.co.uk>]

If you check the datasets (sd01.xls), you'll find that faunas from Utah, New 
Mexico, and Texas are included. However, a number of taxa have erroneous 
stratigraphic data. I doubt this would change the outcome of the study, since, 
if anything, removal of incorrect data reduces disparity between northern and 
southern faunas.


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Denver Fowler
df9465@yahoo.co.uk
http://www.denverfowler.com
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----- Original Message ----
From: GUY LEAHY <xrciseguy@q.com>
To: Dinosaur Mailing List <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Thu, 22 April, 2010 19:54:21
Subject: Were dinosaur ecosystems continent-sized? (resend)


Resent, this time in plain text... :-)

According to this analysis, yes:

http://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/news/item/?item_id=116613

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/04/05/0913645107

A couple of problems right off the top:

1. No faunas from Utah, New Mexico or Texas are included in the dataset. 
2. The upper Maastrichtian Scollard fauna is not included, but the lower-middle 
Maastrichtian Horseshoe Canyon fauna is...
  
It's an interesting coincidence in time this appears a few days after the 
publication of a new pachycephalosaur (_Texacephale_), where the authors 
suggest exactly the opposite scenario: 
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100419132406.htm

Guy Leahy