Re: 'BIG MONSTER DIG', EPISODE 1

["Simon M. Clabby" <dinowight@yahoo.co.uk>]

 --- darren.naish@port.ac.uk wrote: > 
 
> 1) I didn't mention this in the previous email
> (because 
> putting doubt on this matter makes the main
> conclusion of 
> the programme err, suspect) but the identification
> of the 
> _Iguanodon_ as an _I. bernissartensis_ was doubtful:
> though this was based on a pubis (which has a
> diagnostic 
> shape in both _I. bernissartensis_ and _I.
> atherfieldensis_), 
> the parts of the pubis needed for differentiation
> (the prepubic process and shaft of the pubis) were 
> both missing! 
> While the partial pubis they had did match that of
> the Bernissart skeletons in size and shape, so might
> that of other 
> iguanodontian species from the Hastings Group (e.g.,
> '_Iguanodon' dawsoni_). And why didn't they look at
> _'I.' dawsoni_? The holotype (in the sub-basement of

> the Natural History Museum, London) is from
Hastings!!
> (i.e., the same location as the new find).

While we're on the subject, why did Dave need to go to
Belgium to look at I. bernissartensis? It's not as if
the Natural History Museum, London, is short of the
things. Then again, he could have just pulled out a
copy of Norman, 1980, and identified it as I.
bernissartensis. Mind you, that would make for boring
television, I'd imagine. An visit to Belgium is more
exciting (did I really say that?) than watching a man
in a Scrooge hat read a book. (Mind you, I wear a
silly hat quite a bit too, so I can't complain,
although mine isn't as Dickensian!)

> 2) It was claimed that baryonychid teeth were
> present in 
> Dave Brockhurt's collection. They are (pers. comm.),
> but the tooth shown was most certainly not from a
> baryonychid.

Thank God for that! I thought it looked a bit too
coarsely serrated and narrow, and felt silly and a bit
taken aback when Dave announced it was Baryonyx! Nice
to see that I was right, not that the mocking laughter
of the others in the living room will leave my ears
for some time...
 
That and the "Much larger" hole in the chevron (which
looked the same size as the one on the Mantell-piece
to me), just dragged a perfectly good show down for
me. Nice to see Dave back on the Telly though...


Love to see what they find on the Isle of Wight
show...

Simon M. Clabby


=====
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