Re: Iguanodontidae

["Jaime A. Headden" <qilongia@yahoo.com>]

Tim Williams (twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com) wrote:

<(3) The large Australian ornithopod _Muttaburrasaurus_
Bartholomai and Molnar 1981 seems to be increasingly secure
*outside* of the Iguanodontia; _Muttaburrasaurus_ was once
regarded as a camptosaurid, or at least close to the
"thumb-spiked" iguanodontians.  The alleged thumb-spike is
apparently an indeterminate bone fragment, and
_Muttaburrasaurus_ appears to be more closely related to certain
Aussie hypsilophodontids.>

  Best to forget the whole "hypsilophodontid" mess entirely...

  The jaws are very long, making the head quite similar
superficially to ankylopollexians like *Camptosaurus* or
*Iguanodon*, however features of the pelvis (robust ischium, for
one), and plesiomorphic limb morphology suggest it is basal to
the Ankylopollexia. Possibly groups near dryomorphans, but I see
some qualities of the jaw that may suggest that this Australian
species is quite a gigantic animal compared to it's closest
relatives, which might be in the North Hemisphere....

  Anyway, thoughts to end the day with...

=====
Jaime A. Headden

  Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhr-gen-ti-na
  Where the Wind Comes Sweeping Down the Pampas!!!!

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail
http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/