Re: Hypsilophodontid toes & tracks

["dinotracker" <dinotracker@earthlink.net>]

    Thanks for the link, Dann.  In my opinion, there's no way that is the
track of a hypsilophodontid. It may not even be that of an ornithopod, and
has -- despite the large angle of divarication, digits II through IV -- a
lot of resemblance to quite a few theropod tracks I have seen.   It has also
resembles certain bird tracks, too, and they are theropods, IMO.  While it
may not be from a bird -- flighted, secondarily flightless, or whatever -- I
might even bet on a theropodan origin.  The pad area resembling a heel is
not unique to ornithopod tracks (such as seen in Iguanadon tracks).  The
gigantic theropod (probably by Acrocanthosaurus) pes imprints in the Paluxy
River bed (near Glen Rose, Texas) clearly show such a pad, as do many
smaller theropod tracks with which I am familiar.

    So, one sees that without HIGHLY diagnostic features like those seen in
the Maryland hypsie tracks, one must be very cautious in attributing tracks
to a particular type of dinosaur.

    Ray Stanford

"You know my method.  It is founded upon the observance of trifles." --
Sherlock Holmes in The Boscombe Valley Mystery

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dann Pigdon" <dannj@alphalink.com.au>
To: "DML" <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Monday, August 05, 2002 7:40 PM
Subject: Re: Hypsilophodontid toes & tracks

Here's a link to the only known Victorian (ie. Hypsie central) track:
http://www.alphalink.com.au/~dannj/vicprint.htm