Paleo news bits and refs

[bh480@scn.org]

Paleo news bits and refs
From: Ben Creisler bh480@scn.org

Alabama tyrannosauroid
David Schwimmer's book about Deinosuchus is out, 
called "King of the Crocodylians." He briefly discusses a 
new (but unnamed) genus of tyrannosaur from Alabama said 
to be more primitive than the western species such as 
Albertosaurus and Daspletosaurus, and shows a photo of  
foot bones (pages 126-127). The paper with Schwimmer as a 
co-author is under peer review. Any more info available 
yet? The book reviews the evidence that Deinosuchus preyed 
on dinosaurs--it probably happened (certainly scavenging 
on dinosaurs happened), but Deinosuchus seems to have 
preferred turtles and had specialized teeth for cracking 
turtle shells.

Mosasaur news
Lakumasaurus, new mosasaur from Antarctica. All I have is 
the citation. No abstract is available online.

Novas, F.E., Fernandez, M., de Gasparini, Z.B., Lirio, 
J.M., Nunez, H.J., & Puerta P., 2002. Lakumasaurus 
antarcticus, n. gen. et sp., a new mosasaur (Reptilia, 
Squamata) from the Upper Cretaceous of 
Antarctica. AMEGHINIANA 39(2): 245-249.

Lingham-Soliar, T. 2002. First occurrence of premaxillary 
caniniform teeth in the Varanoidea: Presence in the 
extinct mosasaur Goronyosaurus (Squamata: Mosasauridae) 
and its functional and paleoecological implications. 
Lethaia 35: 187-190.

"Oronosaurus" specimen returned to Israel from Denmark.
The giant mosasaur from the Negnev to be described by Per 
Christiansen and referred to informally as "Oronosaurus" 
has been returned to the national Vertebrate Paleontology 
collection in Jerusalem from Denmark after 8 years of 
preparation and study--the specimen will go on public 
display. There seems to be some confusion over which 
journal is scheduled to publish the formal description. 
One news story says it will be the Journal of Vertebrate 
Paleontology, but Per's own website says Palaeontology.


Ancient human remains found in North Korean lava flow
PYONGYANG, Aug. 9 (Xinhua)--Archaeologists have unearthed 
fossils of ancient humans buried deep in lava, which 
presumably date back some 300,000 years, in the 
northeastern part of the Democratic People's Republic of 
Korea (DPRK). 

This is the first case in the world where ancient human 
fossils have been found in lava, the latest issue of DPRK 
journal, Korea Today, reported. A group of experts from 
DPRK academies of sciences and social sciences and the Kim 
Il Sung University found the bone fossils of an adult 
female, a teenager and an infant in Hwadae County, North 
Hamgyong Province. The fossils include skulls, pelvis, 
thigh and bottom bones. 

DPRK scientists said the fossils, named Hwadae Man, are of 
great value in the study of birth and growth of ancient 
humans in what is today's DPRK.