Lotosaurus-like animal? (was Re: archosaurs stance (again))

[Silvio Renesto <renesto@mailserver.unimi.it>]

Dear all,
I sadly missed (holydays,:-)) eventual previous postings on this very 
interesting thread, thus apologies if it has been yet clarified:

Had anyone ever investigated if the genus Ctenosauriscus   from the 
Triassic  of Germany has been in some way (morphofunctional, systematic) 
compared to Lotosaurus?

Carroll (1988) considers Ctenosauriscus  as a "thecodont" incertae sedis , 
while
according to Ebel, Falkenstein, Haderer, Denkendorf & Wild (Stuttgarter 
Beitraege zur Naturkunde B 261, 1998) Ctenosauriscus was a poposaurid 
rauisuchian with fully erect quadrupedal stance and, in addition, the very 
elongated neural spines (longer than in Lotosaurus) had  some function in 
helping the animal to be a facultative biped.

These latter authors portrayed Ctenosauriscus as a "Postosuchus-like" 
animal (thus quite different from Lotosaurus) with a sail  on its 
back,  but  I would be happy to know how much of the skeleton of 
Ctenosauriscus is really known and  opinions on the feasibility of this 
reconstruction and assessment.
Any addditional info or comment on this is greatly welcome.
All the best,

                                        Silvio Renesto

PS great drawing Jean Luc!

At 23.16 09/08/02 +0200, Jean Luc Aspidel wrote:
> Hi dear dino-listers,
>
> I've just had a discussion on a message board with HP Rob Gay about my last
> drawing, _Lotosaurus_:
> http://www.boomspeed.com/aspidel/Lotosaurus-adentus-A.jpg
>
> In this drawing, I gave this critter a full erected quadrupedal stance, but
> maybe I'm wrong, the forelimbs should perhaps have a semi-sprawling stance.
>
> Which position is correct?
>
> Thanks in advance - Luc J. "Aspidel" BAILLY.

_
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                simple, upright, and useful, but hollow inside"

                                                Lao Tzu

Silvio Renesto

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