Re: Carcharodontosaurus (was Re: Megalosaurs)

[Thomas_R_HOLTZ@umail.umd.edu (th81)]

Nick Pharris wrote:

>In a message dated 96-05-31 11:49:06 EDT, Jonathan Wagner wrote
>(first quoting Tim Williams):
>
>>>By the way, the paper on _Carcharodontosaurus_ and _Deltadromeus_
>>>mentioned that at an abelisaur had been discovered in Africa.  Does
>>>anyone have the details?
>
>>        Yeah, I saw that too.  Intriguing!  I believe, but I'm not sure,
>>that this is part of the Charcharodontosaurus-as-abelisaur theory that has
>>been put up (I believe Holtz, mentions it in the big paper (1994)).

Okay, okay, I guess it's time to clear this up...

There is a Moroccan abelisaurids (Tafilalt locality), reported in the
abstract volume for last year's SVP by Dale Russell.  Unfortunately,
that particular poster was not at the meeting!!  However, Sereno et
omnia cite a Russell paper in press at the Bull. Mus. Nat. Hist. Paris
in reference to the Tafilalt material.

I did note in the 1994 paper that Bonaparte noticed similarities in
the femora of some of the African theropods and Carnotaurus. However,
I also noted that the African material did show some tetanurine
synapomorphies.

>As for the African abelisaur, I'll have to go along with an earlier
>poster and speculate that the reference was to _Majungasaurus_, from
>Madagascar.
> BTW, did everyone see the ?_M. crenatissimus_ premaxilla in the
>winter '96 _Dinosaur Report_?  Wow!  On the same tack, I can't wait
>untill they get that 85% complete titanosaur prepared!

Indeed!!

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Vertebrate Paleontologist     Webpage: http://www.geol.umd.edu
Dept. of Geology              Email:th81@umail.umd.edu
University of Maryland        Phone:301-405-4084
College Park, MD  20742       Fax:  301-314-9661

"There are some who call me...  Tim."