RE: PALEONEWS: Maverick dinosaur hunter rewriting the prehistorybooks

["Luis Oscar Romero" <legolas@cde.rieder.net.py>]

The CNN article brings back a sore spot for argentine paleontologists: The
"finding" of Herrerasaurus, which the media recently is suggesting was found
to Dr. Sereno, when its holotype was actually found by Reig back in 1960
(and additional material in 1963) and formally described by him, and been
studies by many scientists since then, Benedetto (1973), Benton (1990) &
Novas (1992a, 1992b). No doubt the pieces excavated by Sereno's team (a
skull, among other things) contributed greatly to the knowledge of this very
primitive dinosaur, but not enough to grant the merit of its discovery,
considering the beast was mounted and exhibited in the Museum of the Miguel
Lillo Foundation at the Tucumán University at a time when Dr. Sereno was
just a kid.

For a glimpse of the argentine opinion on this subject, I suggest reading
"El triásico de San Juan-La Rioja y sus dinosaurios" (The Triassic of San
Juan-La Rioja and its dinosaurs) by Dr. José Bonaparte (also a
well-established, and highly credentialed paleontologist), published by the
Museum of Natural Sciences of Buenos Aires in 1997.

And then, there is also Eoraptor... And then Carcharodontosaurus, known
since very early in the past century (XX century, that is)by very
fragmentary material, lost during the wars, and rediscovered (???) by
Sereno.

I agree with your attitude against media hype, but for different reasons.

-----Mensaje original-----
De: Dinogeorge@aol.com [mailto:Dinogeorge@aol.com]
Enviado el: martes, 11 de enero de 2000 23:03
Para: bettyc@flyinggoat.com; heckerta@unm.edu; Afmayor@aol.com;
annat@post.tau.ac.il
CC: dinosaur@usc.edu
Asunto: Re: PALEONEWS: Maverick dinosaur hunter rewriting the
prehistorybooks


In a message dated 1/11/00 7:27:32 PM EST, bettyc@flyinggoat.com writes:

<< CNN: Maverick dinosaur hunter rewriting the prehistory books

 a nice bio of Paul Sereno >>

Wouldn't call Paul Sereno a "maverick." He's a well-established, highly
credentialed paleontologist whose opinions and papers carry great weight in
the vertebrate-paleontological community. Typical CNN hype.