new titanosaur paper

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <th81@umail.umd.edu>]

New paper in the latest issue of Paleobiology:

Wilson, J. A., and M. T. Carrano.  1999.  Titanosaurs and the origin of
"wide-gauge" trackways: a biomechanical and systematic perspective on
sauropod locomotion.  Paleobiology 25: 252-267.

Presents evidence suggesting that the "wide-gauge" sauropod trackways are
not simply due to different size or substrate, but actually reflect
taxonomic differences: "narrow-gauge" trackways are the primitive condition,
but "wide-gauge" trackways are produced by the peculiar titanosaurs.  They
have synthesized a number of pelvic, limb, and vertebral features of
Titanosauria to build up a model of the clade as being very specialized in
locomotion: more flexible vertebrae and joints giving them a greater
locomotor repertoire.  They even suggest that titanosaurs (or at least the
derived saltasaurids) may have been better at assuming and maintaining a
bipedal stance than other sauropods.

Interesting stuff.  One weird clade of sauropods, though...

                        Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                        Vertebrate Paleontologist
Deptartment of Geology                  Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland                  College Park Scholars
College Park, MD  20742       
Webpage: http://www.geol.umd.edu        Phone:301-405-4084
Email:tholtz@geol.umd.edu               Fax:  301-314-9661