Gunter Van Acker wrote- >
3. some basal sauropodomorphs ("prosauropods") were probably omnivorous. As
shown by a lizard skeleton in the stomach of a Nova Scotia specimen, yes,
they were.
Ralph writes:
Really? Could you tell me where I can find out more
about this? (I never did trust prosauropods; they remind me of dragons)!
...(I'M SNIPPING POSTS RUTHLESSLY, BY THE WAY)...
> Let's assume that these
integumentary structures were at least keratinous, what could have been
their > function ? Well, as every reptile has
keratinous integumentary structures, that's a pretty safe assumption :-)
.
Ralph: What? What about question Ruben et
al.'s attribution of _Sinosauropteryx_ filaments to collagen fibers supporting
the tail of a swimmer? Couldn't this be the same thing? (Just
kidding. The _Psittacosaurus_ tail fibers -- if such there be --
are illustrated in _Extreme Dinosaurs_ as being quite long, and I know
that the non-fuzzy aquatic _Sinosauropteryx_ hypothesis has been soundly
falsified. Pardon the cheap shot).
As the information is embargoed...
Ralph: That's right. >
If I recall correctly, another new non-theropod Yixian specimen (?a basal
ornithopod) with> integumentary structures was reported
a while ago on the DML.
Ralph: Drat! Another pesky undocumented critter
trying to sneak in? Have you no papers? Out, out, I say! Jeholosaurus
has no integumentary structures reported- not scales, not filaments, not
feathers. Psittacosaurus has been reported to have tubercular scales
along its arm(http://www.cmnh.org/fun/dinosaur-archive/2001May/msg01018.html).
Ralph: My post, based on photos in _Dinopress_ magazine.
Tubercles on the arm, yes. Of course, this doesn't tell us anything
about the tail. On the other hand, it doesn't look good for this
being a secondarily flightless psittacosaur (in spite of the name, "parrot
lizard").
Ralph's take home message: Until there is an official description
out, it's just a rumor, and Luis is either a seer, somebody with an inside
scoop, or just a wacky artist making stuff up! (And for the record,
no, I am not in favor of the wacky artist hypothesis, which would contradict
list policy, anyway, so if anyone out there sees it that way, please keep
it off list).
I guess we'll all have to buy Luis Rey's _Extreme Dinosaurs_ and hold
these thoughts for now. Enough of this idle speculation. (Then
again, if non-avian dinosaurs hadn't died out, what would they be like
today)?
--Ralph W. Miller III ralph.miller@alumni.usc.edu
I told y'all you would see something in _Extreme Dinosaurs_ you hadn't
seen before! =( 8^O)