Re: BRAZILIAN NEWS

[Mickey Rowe <rowe@psych.ucsb.edu>]

Darren Naish sent in the following.  Due to technical difficulties in
reaching people across the pond, listproc had recently unsubscribed
him, though, so it didn't recognize him when it got the enclosed
message.  I've added you back, Darren.  Happy New Year!

M

------- Start of forwarded message -------
To: dinosaur@usc.edu
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 18:17:29 GMT0BST
Subject: BRAZILIAN NEWS
CC: darren.naish@port.ac.uk, Tetanurae@aol.com, t.naish@mdlmarinas.co.uk,
        david.martill@port.ac.uk, dpeters@mail.stlnet.com

Happy new year everyone, and thank the good lord for fireworks and 
aspirin. Some time before the xmas period I got hold of another 
conference volume, this time a Brazilian one. It includes new 
dinosaur genera as well as lots of new stuff on Triassic 
archosauriforms. The volume appears to be part of a journal series. 
The journal is called _Paleontologia em Destaque_, subtitled _Boletim 
Informativo da Sociedade Brasileira de Paleontologia_; this is Ano. 
14. n. 26 (Abril, Maio, Junho/1999). All texts are presented as 
abstracts, and here are my summaries of the ones of interest.

Kischlat, E.-E. and Barbarena, M. C.: _Prestosuchus chiniquensis_ 
(Crurotarsi, Archosauria) does not need a neotype!

A complex taxonomic tale. To cut a long story short, the two 
_Prestosuchus_ specimens described by von Huene (1938, 1942) are 
designated lectotype and paralectotype (the lectotype is the one that 
preserves its osteoderms). A third specimen that Avazedo (1995) 
thought Barbarena (1978) regarded as a _P. chiniquensis_ neotype 
(specimen PVT 0156) is a new taxon referred to here as Crurotarsi 
indeterminata. However, osteoderms of the lectotype agree with those 
of PVT 0156 so it is apparently a composite. My brain hurts, so I'll 
stop there.

Kischlat, E.-E., Mattar, L. C. B and Barbarena, M. C. Evidences for 
further studies on _Barbarenasuchus brasiliensis_ (Archosauria: 
Crurotarsi).

The sphenosuchian _Barberenasuchus_ is better known thanks to recent 
studies: teeth previously thought to be palatal teeth are actually 
from the maxilla. The taxon has been included in a cladistic study 
but no results are given.

Kischlat, E.-E. What is _Rhadinosuchus_?

In the most recent review of the proterochampsids, Arcucci (1990) did 
not include _Rhadinosuchus_. Kischlat says here that there is 
sufficient evidence to include it in this group (some of the 
tell-tale features were described as indicating proterochampsid 
identity by von Huene in 1942). Seeing as Hoffstetter (1955) proposed 
Rhadinosuchidae for this taxon, Proterochampsidae Sill 1967 would be 
a junior synonym. _Rhadinosuchus_ is not the same as _Cerritosaurus_ 
being far more gracile and longer snouted: _R._ may be closely 
related to the longirostrine proterochampsids (_Chanaresuchus_, 
_Gualosuchus_ and _Tropidosuchus_). Arcucci is working on a cladistic 
analysis of the group.

Kischlat, E.-E. and Barbarena, M. C. Brazilian dinosaurs: new data.

Yet more new S. American Triassic dinosaurs. The names _Guaibasaurus_ 
and _Teyuwasu_ are listed as Brazilian Triassic '?prosauropod' [sic] 
dinosaurs together with _Spondylosoma_ and _Staurikosaurus_ (see 
following abstracts). A pubis associated with an ischium, dorsal and 
sacral verts is mentioned: it's from the Botucarai outcrop 
(Candelaria City, Rio Grande do Sul) of the Santa Maria Formation. 
The pronounced ambiens process recalls _Herrerasaurus_ but it is 
implied that the specimen is not from that genus. It's sacrals agree 
with _Spondylosoma_ but the ambiens process of the latter is 
different. ALSO, authors say that _Staurikosaurus_ does not have a 
trochanteric shelf and appears distantly related to herrerasaurids. 
Finally, they cite pers. comm. with Peter Galton that _Spondylosoma_ 
is an herrerasaurid, and point out that the name Spondylosomatidae 
von Huene 1942 has priority over Herrerasauridae Benedetto 1973.

de Azevedo, S. A. K. Os dinossauros [sic] Triassicos do sul do 
Brasil: dados atualizados novas perspectivas.

Basically says that southern Brazil is a nice place for Triassic 
dinosaur discovery (but not in as many, or few, words) and mentions - 
and cites the references for - _Guaibasaurus dandelariai_. The two
citations given are abstracts: 

1) Bonaparte, J. F. and Ferigolo, J. 1998. A new and primitive 
saurischian dinosaur, _Guaibasaurus dandelariai_, gen. et sp. nov., 
from the Late Triassic Caturrita Formation of Southern Brazil. 
_Second Symposium Gondwana Dinosaurs - Abstracts_. Tokyo.

2) Langer, M. C., Abdala, N. F. and Richter. M. 1998. new record of 
Dinosauria from the Santa Maria Formation (Upper Carnian of the 
Parana Basin - Brasil). IN: XIV Jornados Argentinas de Paleontologia 
de Vertebados - Resumenes_. Neuquen (Argentina).

Kischlat, E.-E. A new dinosaurian 'rescued' from the Brazilian 
Triassic: _Teyuwasu barbarenai_, new taxon.

In reviewing Triassic archosaurs from Rio Grande do Sul for phd work, 
Kischlat made _Hoplitosuchus_ Huene 1942 a nomen substitutum for 
_Hoplitosaurus_ Huene 1938: I'm not quite sure why. A right femur and 
tibia previously referred to this taxon is actually from a dinosaur 
and recalls _Marasuchus_ and _Herrerasaurus_: is here named _Teyuwasu 
barbarenai_. Generic is from the tupi words te'yu (lizard - 
presumably the basis for the word tegu) and wa'su (big): thus 'big 
lizard'. Cool. Don't think much of the material though.

de Azevedo, S. A. K., da Rosa, A. A. S., Boelter, R. A. and Leal, L. 
A. A prosauropod dinosaur from the Late Triassic of southern Brasil.

Fairly decent material (including left maxilla with 12 teeth, rostral 
parts of jaws, pectoral girdles and forelimbs, vertebrae, ribs and 
gastralia) from Agua Negra (close to Santa Maria City) in Rio Grande 
do Sul (this is a Brazilian state if you're wondering). The teeth are 
homodont or weakly heterodont, described as spatulate and with 
coarse, obliquely angled serrations.

Kellner, A. W. A. Pterosaurs, a review.

Kellner reiterates his phylogeny where anurognathids are the most 
basal pterosaurs and Pterodactyloidea is divided into 
Archaeopterodactyloidea and Dsungaripteroidea (pteranodontids, 
anhanguerids, tapejairds, azhdarchids etc.). Am surprised to see that 
Kellner may still regard _Tapejara_ as a possible herbivore as he 
lists 'fructifications' as among the kinds of foods pterosaurs 
evolved to eat.

Sayao, J. M. and Kellner, A. W. A. New pterosaur material from the 
Crato member (Aptian-Albian) Santana Formation, northeast Brazil. 

Complete pterosaur left wing with soft tissue is reported. Estimated 
wingspan of about 1.8 m. It differs from _Arthurdactylus_, one of 
the two pterosaurs from the unit, in having scapula longer than 
coracoid. Has one feature regarded by the authors as an azhdarchid 
synapomorphy and also has a strong coracoidal ventral process: bigger 
than in anhanguerids and like that of tapejarids. Could the wing be 
from _Tapejara_, the other pterosaur from the unit?

Silva, D. de P. and Kellner, A. W. A. Novos dentes de Theropoda do 
Cretaceo continental do Brasil.

Some teeth recall those of _Giganotosaurus_ and 
_Carcharodontosaurus_. Several localities are mentioned in the text - 
I'm not sure which ones the teeth are from.

Further contributions include Bonfim Junior on the dentition of the 
Santana Fm. lizard _Tijubina_ (a possible teiid), and de Carvalho 
and de Azevedo on mosasaurs (including globidentines, 
plioplatecarpins and prognathodonts), plesiosaurs, crocodyliforms 
(dyrosaurids) and pterosaurs from the Pernambuco-Paraiba Basin. Hey, 
is there anywhere in the Late Cretaceous marine environment where 
mosasaurs _weren't_ diverse??:) Dornalles et al. address the 
retroarticular musculature of extant alligatorids and what this 
might tell us about reconstructing muscles in extinct vertebrates. 
There is also a contribution from Cesar L. Schultz and Sergio 
Dias-da-Silva on a new pareiasaurid from the Sanga do Cabral 
Formation. This has been regarded as Lower Triassic, but the presence 
of this pareiasaur (represented only by skull fragment, partial ulna 
etc.) suggests it could instead be Permian. The alternative is that 
pareiasaurids made it into the Early Triassic. 

Finally, there are further abstracts on labyrinthodonts, dicynodonts, 
lots on Cainozoic mammals and a few on fishes. 

"The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead."

DARREN NAISH 
PALAEOBIOLOGY RESEARCH GROUP
School of Earth, Environmental & Physical Sciences
UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH
Burnaby Building
Burnaby Road                           email: darren.naish@port.ac.uk
Portsmouth UK                          tel: 01703 446718
P01 3QL                               [COMING SOON: 
http://www.naish-zoology.com]
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