Re: Oviraptorids questions

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

Since no one else has steppped in to answer this, I shall take a crack at it. I 
feel almost like
having been set up...

Marco Auditore (maaudito@tin.it) wrote:

<I'm in a full immersion into the oviraptorids! There are (too many) things 
unclear, and for the
moment I only give my attention to the skulls! I found the images of at least 
ten skulls assigned
to this family from various sources.

The big problems are with Ingenia, because a great variations in the general 
shape is present in
the skulls assigned to this genus. The holotype comprise only mandibles for the 
cranial element?>

  Confusion over *Ingenia* is understandable. Most authors have followed 
Barsbold in the reference
of uncrested skulls to *Ingenia*. However, the type skull comprises only the 
braincase, parietals,
and frontals, and is lacking the basisphenoid and ventral half of the 
basioccipital. The
laterosphenoids are damaged and malformed, and are not likely preserved 
correctly. There is no
pneumatization on the dorsal surface of the skull, and the skull roof is not 
complete laterally to
the orbits. No other cranial material is properly referred to *Ingenia* without 
appropriate
postcranial comparisons, and this has proved futile.

<And after the re-assignement of some skulls (and skeletons) to other genera 
(like Khaan or
Conchoraptor) how many skulls are now assigned to Ingenia yanshini? The skull 
(not the mandible)
drawed by G.S.Paul at the page 377 of his PDW is the same assigned to 
Conchoraptor, and the same
rapresented at page 252 of THE DINOSAURIA? They seems fairly different.>

  They are. The skull in Dinosauria is GI (SPS) 100/20, the holotype of 
*Conchoraptor*, whereas
the skull and lower jaw in PDW is an undefined oviraptorid, ZPAL MgD-I/95. This 
skull is juvenile,
and I should have something further to say in the future on my website, but for 
the moment, this
is just best referrable as Oviraptoridae indet.. No other cranial material 
belongs to *Ingenia*.

<Conchoraptor is know only from one skull? And the mandible is preserved only 
in the distal
portion (those rapresented, associated with the skull, at page 252 of THE 
DINOSAURIA)? There are
other mandibles assigned to Conchoraptor?>

  There is more than one skull of *Conchoraptor*. However, none others have 
been described. I have
seen two of these, so they exist. The type is badly damaged, and is missing the 
lateral bones on
the one whole side not illustrated in _The Dinosauria_. The lower jaw is 
missing the lower half,
and is only a single mandibular ramus. The lowerjaw identified in _The 
Dinosauria_ belongs to
neither type nor any referred specimen on *Conchoraptor* that I have seen, but 
the jaw is
illustrated in Barsbold, 1977, which I lack. I would treat this jaw by itself. 
So far, it is
unique to other jaws, but the dentary is similar to juvenile oviraptorids; this 
may be a clue.

<The skull labelled Ingenia yanshini at page 84 of the National Geographic 
vol.190, NO.1, July
1996 under the Citipati skull (here labelled Oviraptor philoceratops) is the 
third specimen of
Khaan?>

  This skull as yet remains undescribed, but is a new genus and species. It 
does not belong to
*Ingenia*. The skull also posesses the first two cervical vertebrae, with the 
atlas partially
obscured; I believe it is properly catalogued as GI (SPS) 100/984. I use the 
term "Long&Low skull"
to refer to this, but in the meantime....

<A supplementary mandibular foramen is present only in the holotype of 
Oviraptor philoceratops
(the only specimen now assigned to Oviraptor, right?)? Or is simply a broken 
part of bone?>

  Yes, there is only one specimen now referred to *Oviraptor philoceratops*, 
AMNH 6517. The
mandibular foramen, apparent also in ZPAL MgD-I/95, is probably an artifact of 
preservation. No
other jaw preserves this where the jaw is intact. The other specimen, ZPAL, is 
a juvenile and it
is likely the holes are poorly preserved bone.

<Finally, there is someone that can send to me a photo (not a draw) of the 
skull of "Oviraptor"
mongoliensis, or that know where I can found it?>

  The best published skull illustration is in _The Dinosauria_. The skull is 
presently located in
the Museum of the Institute of Geology, Mongolia, and not much is coming out of 
there photographed
... so far, the best source for photos will be from the AMNH team, if they took 
them.
I really need a good look at the rest of this animal myself, as there is a good 
deal of postcrania
present, some of which used to be refered to *Ingenia* (GI (SPS) 100/32A, which 
leaves doubt on
which postcranial material illustrated in _The Dinosauria_ belongs to 
*Ingenia*).


=====
Jaime A. Headden

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

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