Another new dinosaur

[Tom Holtz <tholtz@geochange.er.usgs.gov>]

I received a paper in the mail last week that described a new dinosaur
specimen.  The authors choose not to name it for the moment, but it does
appear to be a new genus and species.

Perez-Moreno, B.P., J.L. Sanz, J. Sudre, and B. Sige.  1993.  A theropod
dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of southern France.  Revue de
Paleobiolgie, Vol. Spec. 7: 173-188.

The specimen is the forelimb (and some ribs) of an allosaurid dinosaur from
marine deposits of  Valanginian (Early Cretaceous) age from the region of
Montmirat.  (I suspect it will eventually be named Montmiratosaurus).

In a phylogenetic analysis of 52 characters and 11 taxa, they find that it
groups most closely with Allosaurus.  For those interested, the tree
topology is: Herrerasaurus ((Dilophosaurus (Certosaurus + Carnotaurus))
(Eustreptospondylus (Piatnizkysaurus ((Montmiart + Allosaurus) (Deinonychus
(Albertosaurus + Gallimimus)))))

I'd buy that.. ;-) (Actually, this study was independant of mine, although
Bernardino Perez-Moreno saw a draft of my phylogenetic analysis shortly
after his paper was sent to press).

                                
Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.                                   
tholtz@geochange.er.usgs.gov
Vertebrate Paleontologist in Exile                  Phone:      703-648-5280
U.S. Geological Survey                                FAX:      703-648-5420
Branch of Paleontology & Stratigraphy
MS 970 National Center
Reston, VA  22092
U.S.A.