Re: Theropod "migrations"

[Danvarner@aol.com]

In a message dated 99-04-24 17:55:21 EDT, Dinogeorge wrote:

<< 
 There is one known ceratopid in central Asia, Turanoceratops, described by 
Nessov & Kazynshkina in 1989, with new material described by Nessov in 1995. 
It looked something like Montanoceratops from the US. But other than that, 
ceratopids don't seem to have gained a foothold in Asia the way they did in 
North America. Most of the ceratopids evolved post-Bering-land-bridge in 
North America, whereas there is a diverse assemblage of protoceratopids in 
Asia. Luck of the draw?  >>

  I think I mentioned this a while back, but it seems to me that it would be 
hard to design an animal more suited for drowning than the large ceratopids 
with their huge, downward-pointing skulls and semi-fused necks. This makes me 
wonder if the Bering connection wasn't more of a sweepstakes route 
(island-hopping) at least during the Campanian-Maastrichtian. 
  A study of bonebeds would be interesting in this connection also. Two 
differing causes are volcanic ashfalls and flooding ( and perhaps a 
combination of the two). It would be interesting to see statistics visa-vi 
hadrosaur and ceratopian bonebeds in this context. Has anyone done a study of 
the of dinosaur bonebeds? Are there any  strictly fluvial hadrosaur bonebeds? 
Anyone need an idea for their M.S.? Dan Varner.