RE:

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>]

> From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of Nicholas Gardner

>

> 2.  Is it possible that the Moreno Hill "Dave" specimen is a dromaeosaurine?

 

Please note that this specimen is UNDER STUDY, and thus we cannot talk about it too much on a public forum without risking the chance of getting it published in a high prestige journal!!

 

However, I can confirm (as this information was released at the When Dinosaurs Roamed America press conference) that the dinosaur was first thought to be a dromaeosaurine, but as more of the skull and postcranium was found it was discovered to lack dromaeosaurid synapomorphies.

 

                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                Vertebrate Paleontologist
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
                College Park, MD  20742      
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/tholtz.htm
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite
Phone:  301-405-4084    Email:  tholtz@geol.umd.edu
Fax (Geol):  301-314-9661       Fax (CPS-ELT): 301-405-0796