OMEISAUR CLUBS, PACHYRHINOSAUR

[darren.naish@port.ac.uk]

I didn't keep the emails unfortunately, but there was some 
recent discussion here on the ostensible tail club of 
_Omeisaurus_. Pete suggested that the tail clubs attributed 
to this animal may in fact have come from _Shunosaurus_. 

Ye et al. recently reported the presence of an expanded 
club-like structure on the tail of _Mamenchisaurus 
hochuanensis_ (_Vertebrata PalAsiatica_ 39, 266-271). 
They describe the distal caudals as fused together and 
forming a 'cocks-comb' shaped lump. If they are correct and 
this is not some sort of bizarre pathology then the presence 
of such a structure in _Mamenchisaurus_ could support the 
presence of a tail club in _Omeisaurus_. Incidentally, Ye et 
al. regard _Omeisaurus_ as club-bearing and describe its 
club as hammer-shaped and thus like that of 
_Shunosaurus_.

Ben Creisler reported...

> New species of Pachycephalosaurus from Alberta:
> http://www.canada.com/edmonton/story.asp?id={E3DEABE4-EF6F-
> 40BE-AC1A-C77B3C0AB006}

Ben made a freudian slip... this is the Pipestone Creek 
_Pachyrhinosaurus_, not _Pachycephalosaurus_.

Finally, 'Leonardo' the new brachylophosaur specimen from 
Montana (also reported here by Ben) allegedly has a tongue 
preserved. Assuming it >is< a tongue I think this is a first.

Darren Naish
School of Earth & Environmental Sciences
University of Portsmouth
Burnaby Building
Burnaby Road                           email: 
darren.naish@port.ac.uk
Portsmouth UK                          tel: 023 92846045                   
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