Re: Notes on Rebbachisaurs and Tehuelchesaurus (less longish)

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

NJPharris@aol.com wrote:

> ...
> It will take a decent cladistic analysis of this critter [Tehuelchesaurus 
> benitezii] (or at
> least a more inclusive examination of relevant taxa) to convince me that this
> is a South American euhelopod/mamenchisaur.

This is interesting, since the Australian Mid-Jurassic sauropod Rhoetosaurus has
been suggested as being euhelopodid. With Austrosaurus now considered by some as
a titanosauriform, perhaps the authors may have a vested interest in finding
another Gondwanan Mid to Late Jurassic euhelopodid? The classification of
Austrosaurus and Rhoetosaurus would suddenly make sense, perhaps suggesting that
Australia was similar biogeographically to South America (as India is in a sense
- abelisaurs, titanosaurs, and the like). After all, you've got S.America to one
side of Austro-Antarctica and India on the other.

Australia abelisaurs, any one?

-- 
____________________________________________________
        Dann Pigdon
        GIS Archaeologist
        Melbourne, Australia

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