Re: Irritator as Spinosaur

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 96-01-31 17:24:45 EST, pharrinj@PLU.edu (Nicholas J.
Pharris) writes:

>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.

The relatively long dorsal centra and winglike transverse processes of
_Spinosaurus_ suggest a ceratosaurian derivation for Spinosauria. But I
haven't checked for these features on _Baryonyx_.