Re: Brontosaurus/Apatosaurus (Was Re: Novel way to reconstruct a skull)

["Allan Edels" <edels@email.msn.com>]

ALL:

    I saw the reconstructed skull with Bakker at DinoFest.  In fact, I held
the lower left jaw, while he showed the interior of the skull to Jack
McIntosh, pointing out the very well preserved stapes, and the braincase.
Jack confirmed that this specimen has a very different braincase from
_Apatosaurus_.

    Bakker says the associated vertebrae (and other bones) indicated that
the animal was _Brontosaurus excelsus_ (or what most of us would call
_Apatosaurus_).  He says the skull is sufficient for resurrection of the
name _Brontosaurus_.

    Jack McIntosh seemed to agree that the specimen is a distinct species,
and possibly a distinct genera.  He doesn't seem likely to jump to
conclusions.  (In fact, when Bakker saw the sauropod being prepped at the
Academy of Natural Sciences, he pronounced it a very large _Camarasaurus_.
Jack wasn't so sure, even with Bakker prodding him).

    I guess we'll just have to wait and see whether Bakker writes it up, and
whether it passes peer review.   :-)


        Allan Edels