Irritator as Spinosaur

["Nicholas J. Pharris" <pharrinj@PLU.edu>]

A couple of comments and questions:

Troodonts do show an enlarged sagittal crest on the parietals, like 
_Irritator_.

_Archaeornithoides deinosauriscus_ is also supposed to show similarities 
both to spinosaurs and troodonts.

Does anyone know anything about the feet of _Baryonyx_?  Particularly the 
proximal ends of the metatarsals, as these can show not only whether 
_Bary_ is an arctomet but also positively whether it is a halticosaur, 
megalosaur, allosaur, or whatever.

Troodonts, _Baryonyx_, and _Pelecanimimus_ are the theropods with the 
highest number of teeth, possibly implying a link.

About the only things Sereno used to link spinosaurs and megalosaurs are 
a short antebrachium and a large thumb claw.

I do not think it impossible that the Spinosauria are a (mostly) 
Gondwanan radiation of piscivorous troodont relatives.  More is needed to 
show this, however, particularly a good, hard look at _Baryonyx_ and 
description of the new _Spinosaurus_ material.

Nick Pharris
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA 98447
(206)535-8204
PharriNJ@PLU.edu

"If you can't convince them, confuse them." -- Harry S. Truman