Birds and Brachiosaurs

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

If you're hoping for a posting that combines the two topics in the
subject heading, you're about to be sorely disappointed. My two
questions aren't related to each other:

1. Why is the inner toe of Rahonavis considered dromaeosaur-like
if (as I'm assuming) the claws from the other toes aren't known?
Isn't it likely that all of the claws were similarly large and
curved, as per perching birds in general. Why the "flying raptor"
(sic) tag? (as if raptors can't already fly...)

2. I've heard that, although the Hughendon sauropod cervical
vertebra from Queensland isn't particularly diagnostic, that there
may be other reasons to suspect the presence of Brachiosaurids in
Australia (in prehistory that is, I've pretty much ruled out their
present existence). Do I have to "wait for the damn paper" (as per one
of the Holtz standard replies), or can someone perhaps enlighten
us (a certain Dr Molnar perhaps)?

And in a similar vein... what ever happened to Qantassaurus?
Rejected? As-yet unpublished? Should I invoke the standard Holtz
reply yet again?

-- 
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        Dann Pigdon
        GIS Archaeologist
        Melbourne, Australia

        Australian Dinosaurs:
        http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/4459/
        http://home.alphalink.com.au/~dannj
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