Re: PALEONEWS:Biggest Dinosaur Believed Dug up in Argentina

["Steve Brusatte" <dinoland@mailcity.com>]

Okay,
This is the second major announcement regarding a possible "biggest dinosaur 
ever" in the past few months, not to mention the naming or discovery of three 
addition sauropods since November.  So, this begs the question to me: why all 
of these sauropods?

Well, for a very long time paleontologists believed that Brachiosaurus or 
Apatosaurus 
were the largest dinos to walk the earth.  Then, starting in the 80's and 90's 
several newly named dinosaurs have staked a claim to the crown; Supersaurus, 
Ultrosaurus,
Seismosaurus, Argentinosaurus, and Sauroposeidon come to mind.

And, several new, but not quite so large, sauropods have also been named 
recently: Jobaria, Nigersaurus, this new guy from Texas, and so on.  

So, I guess my question is: why are we suddenly seeing a flock of new sauropods 
and dinosaurs that paleontologists claim to be "the largest ever."  Is this a 
result of overzealous measurements of the few bones found, or are sauropods the 
new "hot commodity" of paleontology???  

Insights appreciated.

Steve
---
*****************************************************
Steve Brusatte-DINO LAND PALEONTOLOGY
SITE: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Galaxy/8152
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On Wed, 19 Jan 2000 11:15:02   Betty Cunningham wrote:
>------------------------
>This is a CNN custom news article.
>CNN has recently changed formats so I can not give you the URL.
>I recommend registering at cnn.com for your own custom news to 
>access the article online-   -Betty
>--------------------------
>
>Biggest Dinosaur Believed Dug up in Argentina
>
>BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - The bones of what may be the largest dinosaur
>species yet discovered were found by a villager in a vulture-ridden
>series of canyons in Argentina's southern Patagonia region, local
>paleontologists said Tuesday. 
>
>The beast is an herbivore that stormed the earth during the Cretaceous
>period up to 105 million years ago. Estimates on its length hover
>between 157 feet and 167 feet. 
>
>"Two cervical vertebrae 3.94 feet high were found, in addition to a
>femur 6.56 feet in height and some other indicative bones,"
>paleontologist Carlos Munoz, director of the Florentino Ameghino museum
>in southern Rio Negro province, told Reuters. 
>
>The newly-discovered plant eater is thought to be 26 feet longer than
>the 100-ton Argentinosaurus, which was unearthed close by and is the
>largest dinosaur of any type ever laid bare. 
>
>"We're ecstatic with this spectacular find. In Patagonia, walking among
>the rocks is enough to discover fossils," said Munoz. 
>
>The scrubby, desolate region has proved to be an extraordinary dinosaur
>graveyard. Last April eager Argentine paleontologists uncovered the
>imposing bones of a meat-eater thought to be grander than
>Giganotosaurus, the biggest carnivore on record. 
>
>Giganotosaurus, also discovered in Patagonia, had much the same build as
>Tyrannosaurus rex and reigned over South America for millions of years. 
>
>The new, behemoth vegetarian specimen comes from a dusty region riddled
>with immense canyons called La Buitrera ("The Vulture Cage"). So far
>unnamed and unclassified, the beast had a small head perched on a long
>neck. It stands out on account of its lengthy tail. 
>
>A team of paleontologists is beavering away at the La Buitrera discovery
>site with the aim of carting off the cache of bones to the Florentino
>Ameghino museum for scrutiny by the end of the month. 
>
>"We are going to be working until Jan. 31 and then we will take
>everything to the museum to remove the sediment, study it and later
>mount a presentation," said Munoz. 
>
>-- 
>Flying Goat Graphics
>http://www.flyinggoat.com
>(Society of Vertebrate Paleontology member)
>-------------------------------------------<,D,><
>


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