Re: Leedsichthys.

[Jonkeria@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/16/98 8:36:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
luisrey@ndirect.co.uk writes:

<< Thank you for your comments.
 I have seen Ray Troll's surreal reconstruction but some experts don't agree
 with it. In the meantime I've started reconstructing it as a giant
 primitive teleost. I might be getting more direct graphic information
 tomorrow... I hope. I need to do sketches by the end of the week. Some
 artists have no life! >>

Your Welcome of course, and certainly for a rather fragmentary creature there
would be expert dissent for what are indeed rather surreal reconstructions. A
question to Dan Varner, who obviously knows more about the pachycormid
skeletons than I: The tail fin for this immense beast is preserved, correct? I
ask this because not only is it one of the most distinctive features of the
Leedsichthys reconstructions I've seen, but also although AMNH fish guy John
Maisey lists the beast's length as rather sketchy he gives a clear "5 meters
from tip to tip" for the tail in his _Discovering Fossil Fish_.

Sincerely,
Christian Kammerer