New Refs & A Question

["Jerry D. Harris" <jharris@dixie.edu>]

Hi All! -

   OK, question first:  does anyone remember a documentary in the last year 
or two on a truly ginormous individual of _Crocodylus niloticus_ that was 
haunting some lake in Africa?  I remember seeing it and being pretty awed by 
the beast (I recall it single-mouthedly took down a hippo) and the failed 
attempts to capture it.  I'd love to get the documentary on DVD or VHS if it 
exists...but I can't recall the show's name, or even what channel it was on 
(or the nickname they gave the animal, or the lake it lived in, for that 
matter).  Thanks for anyone who can point it out!

   On to the dino business:

Moreno, K., and M. J. Benton. 2005. Occurrence of sauropod dinosaur tracks 
in the Upper Jurassic of Chile (redescription of _Iguanodonichnus frenki_). 
Journal of South American Earth Sciences 20(3):253-257. doi: 
10.1016/j.jsames.2005.05.012.

ABSTRACT: New observations from the only studied Upper Jurassic dinosaur 
unit in South America, the Baños del Flaco Formation, Chile, are presented 
herein. The original description of the ichnospecies _Iguanodonichnus 
frenki_ contains several mistakes and information that needs updating. 
Therefore, we provide a redescription, including new data collected in the 
field, that supports _I. frenki_ as a sauropod in origin on the basis of the 
following features: step angles average less than 110°; pes prints intersect 
the trackway midline; pes prints are longer than wide, with the long axis 
rotated outward; the claw impression of digit I is prominent and directed 
forward; and claws on digits II, III, and IV are strongly reduced. These 
morphological characteristics might give clues about the pes morphology of 
the South American Jurassic sauropods, whose foot bone remains are
scarce. The presence of this sauropod ichnospecies in the Late Jurassic 
agrees with Early-Middle Jurassic faunal associations in South America.

-----------------

Schwarz, D., and S. W. Salisbury. 2005. A new species of _Theriosuchus_ 
(Atoposauridae, Crocodylomorpha) from the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) of 
Guimarota, Portugal. Geobios 38(6):779-802. doi: 
10.1016/j.geobios.2004.04.005.

ABSTRACT: A new species of an atoposaurid crocodilian, _Theriosuchus 
guimarotae_, is described from the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) of Portugal. 
_Theriosuchus guimarotae_ can be distinguished from other species of 
Theriosuchus by a lateral surface of squamosal bevelled ventrally; a 
rounded, caudally projecting and dorsally sculptured caudolateral corner of 
the squamosal; a premaxillomaxillary suture aligned caudomedially in dorsal 
aspect; a minimum space between the supratemporal foramina that comprises 
one third of the total width of the cranial table; a minimum width of the 
frontal between the orbits that comprises one third of the maximum width of 
the skull at the orbits; a dentition that comprises only pseudocaniniform 
and lanceolate-shaped teeth; the presence of an external mandibular fenestra 
and all vertebral bodies amphicoelous. Its osteology also sheds light on the 
diagnosis of _Theriosuchus _within Atoposauridae. The material additionally 
includes specimens representative of several ontogenetic stages, each of 
which is discussed here. With its Late Jurassic age, _T. guimarotae_ 
represents the oldest well-preserved material of _Theriosuchus_ and reveals 
further knowledge about the palaeobiogeography of the genus in western 
Europe.


Gand, G., and G. Demathieu. 2005. Les pistes dinosauroïdes du Trias moyen 
français: interprétation et réévaluation de la nomenclature. Geobios 
38(6):725-749. doi: 10.1016/j.geobios.2005.04.001.

ABSTRACT: Numerous dinosauroid footprints which showing sometimes manus 
imprint mark were gathered, since 1960, from the lower sandstones Triassic 
formations of the eastern border of the Massif Central (France). Tracks 
bearing levels are dated from palynological, micropalaeontological and 
palichnological data. They belong to the period upper Anisian-lower 
Ladinian. The paleontological results show bipedal digitigrade reptiles with 
erected, long hind limbs, having also pentadactyl mani and (II-IV) tridactyl 
feet. The osteological feet inferred structure is like that of Ceratosauria 
of Late Triassic age. The skeletons of first Dinosauria, diversified already 
well, are known in summit Ladinian and lower Carnien and those of their 
ancestors, Dinosauriformes, in Ladinian. And, for this reason, the 
aniso-ladinian dinosauroid footprints are ascribed to these last animals 
which thus appeared earlier, to Anisan even to late Olenekian. The 
chirotheroid hands show a "pseudosuchian" origin which possibly took place 
during the late Olenekian; feet modifications of these Crurotarsi being 
characterized by I and V digits reduction and a meso-tarsal joint. The 
Anisian-Ladinian dinosauroid footprints are ascribed to the ichnospecies 
_Coelurosaurichnus perriauxi_ and _Anchisauripus bibractensis_. The 
discriminant analysis computed from these latter ichnospecies, and others 
from the German Triassic, French and USA Hettangian indicate that _C. 
perriauxi_ and _A. bibractensis_ can not be included into _Grallator_ sensu 
Lull, 1953 or _Coelurosaurichnus_ of Franconie. By this way, these taxa are 
well original and till now, there was no reason to change their 
nomenclature. Nevertheless because the numerous changes of Grallator which 
gathers now, most of dinosauroid footprints, it could be possible to include 
them into _Grallator_ for the feet and into _Atreipus_ when the manus trace 
is connected with the foot.

---------------------

Durand, J. F. 2005. Major African contributions to Palaeozoic and Mesozoic 
vertebrate palaeontology. Journal of African Earth Sciences 43(1-3):53-82. 
doi: 10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2005.07.014.

ABSTRACT: Over more than two centuries, Africa has been an important source 
of knowledge with regard to the origins, evolution and distribution of 
important animal taxa. Not only did Africa south of the Sahara contain a 
second zoogeographical region virtually unknown four centuries ago, but also 
gave the world the first insight into the palaeontological wealth and the 
existence of Gondwana. The section on Agnatha includes a discussion on 
conodonts from South Africa, considered to be the some of the oldest and 
best-preserved vertebrate fossils in the world. The section on the 
Gnathostomata includes a very brief overview of the most important fish taxa 
from the Palaeozoic to Mesozoic of Africa. The section on the Tetrapoda 
includes an overview of the major taxa found in the fossil record of the 
Palaeozoic and Mesozoic of Africa. The Permian and Triassic tetrapod fossils 
that indicate the evolution and radiation of the parareptiles, eureptiles 
and synapsids are highlighted. The most important vertebrate fossils from 
Africa that contributed to our understanding of the radiation of 
evolutionary important groups such as the fish, tetrapods, tortoises, 
snakes, crocodiles, dinosaurs and mammals are discussed. The Jurassic and 
Cretaceous assemblages containing dinosaur and mammal remains, deposited 
after the break up of Gondwana, are discussed. Finally a perspective on the 
importance of Africa as fossil repository and the limitations of 
palaeontological endeavour in Africa is given.

--------------------

Evans, S. E., Y. Wang, and C. Li. 2005. The early Cretaceous lizard genus 
_Yabeinosaurus_ from China: resolving an enigma. Journal of Systematic 
Palaeontology 3(4):319-335. doi: 10.1017/S1477201905001641.

ABSTRACT: The lizard genus _Yabeinosaurus_ was originally described more 
than 60 years ago from deposits of the Early Cretaceous Jehol Group of 
northeastern China. Its morphology and phylogenetic position have remained 
enigmatic for several reasons, not least the inaccessibility of the type and 
figured material, now lost, and the immaturity of all previously documented 
specimens. Recent work on the Jehol Biota has yielded a series of 
well-preserved _Yabeinosaurus_ skeletons, ranging from juvenile to adult. 
Contrary to previous interpretations, _Yabeinosaurus_ was not a small, 
weakly ossified lizard with gekkotan affinities. The adult reached a size in 
excess of 300 mm snout-pelvis length and had a large, heavily ossified and 
strongly sculptured skull. Phylogenetic analysis highlights some of the 
difficulties involved in determining the systematic positions of early 
squamate taxa. Nevertheless, the overall results suggest a position close to 
the iguanian-scleroglossan dichotomy (just above or just below). As such, 
_Yabeinosaurus_ may represent a relict taxon in the Jehol Biota, a survivor 
of the Pan-Laurasian lizard fauna of the Jurassic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jerry D. Harris
Director of Paleontology
Dixie State College
Science Building
225 South 700 East
St. George, UT  84770   USA
Phone: (435) 652-7758
Fax: (435) 656-4022
E-mail: jharris@dixie.edu
and     dinogami@gmail.com
http://cactus.dixie.edu/jharris/

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