Re: Metatarsal fusion/nonfusion: birds/theropods

["Mickey P. Rowe" <mrowe@indiana.edu>]

Jim Kirkland cc'd a message to both the list and to Brooks Britt.
Brooks' response was intended for the list, but it got rejected since
Brooks isn't subscribed.  I'm forwarding it for your edification --
MR:
-------------------------

  From: Brittpaleo@aol.com
  Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 10:56:56 -0500 (EST)
  Message-ID: <970324105656_-1303793962@emout01.mail.aol.com>
  To: th81@umail.umd.edu
  cc: dis@gj.net, dinosaur@usc.edu
  Subject: Re: Metatarsal fusion/nonfusion: birds/theropods

  I have made a point of looking for additional example of fused
  metatarsi in Ceratosaurus and to date the only example of fusion is
  that of the type specimen at the USNM.  As I noted in my master's
  thesis (1991, BYU Geology Studies, p 58) on the theropods of Dry
  Mesa, the Ceratosaurus metatarsals from Dry Mesa are unfused.  We
  have several Ceratosaurus metatarsals with the Fruita Ceratosaurus
  (in press as a new species by Madsen and Welles) and they show no
  evidence of fusion.  Ken Stadtman and I are working on a new
  Ceratosaurus specimen from Utah but no metatarsals were found with
  it.
  
  In summary, I have long been convinced that the fused metatarsals in
  the type of Ceratosaurus are pathologic.
  
  Brooks