Re: Poekilopleuron Problems

[rallain@cimrs1.mnhn.fr (ALLAIN Ronan)]

>Hey,
>I know that Poekilopleuron is now poorly understood (the killing of
>civilian dinosaur fossils is part of war), but I do have a quick question
>on this taxon.  The Dinosauria lists Poekilopleuron as possessing a
>prominent medial process at the midlength of both its radius and second
>metacarpal, a condition Molnar says is unknown in any other theropod.
>
>I know a decent figure of the radius still exists, along with a figure of
>a metacarpal.  Are such reconstructions accurate?  If so, what purposes
>may these processes have held?  And, since the Dinosauria is outdated
>(still waiting for the updated version...), have any other theropods,
>especially those similar in age to Poekilopleuron, been found with similar
>processes?
>
>Steve


Poekilopleuron bucklandii is not so poorly understand. In fact, casts of
some parts of the type skeleton (humerus, radius, ulna, phalanges,
gastralia) are still preserved in the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle,
here in Paris.
The redescription of Poekilopleuron (Allain and Chure, Palaeontology) is
currently in submission, and once more, you have to wait for the
publication.
I can all the same confirm the presence of a posteromedial ulnar process on
the radius of Poekilopleuron. Such a process has not been recognized on the
first metacarpal (second metacarpal being unknown in Poekiloleuron,
contrary to what was previously reported in the Dinosauria).
As far as I know, the ulnar process of the radius is indeed unknnow in any
other theropod.

********************************
Ronan ALLAIN

Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle
Laboratoire de Paleontologie
8 rue Buffon
75005 PARIS

Tel: 0140793042
Fax: 0140793580
E-mail: rallain@mnhn.fr
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