More Last Papers of the Year

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

Hi All -

   OK, so I jumped the gun.  Sue me.  ;-D

-----------

Pienkowski, G., and G. Niedzwiedzki. 2005. Pterosaur tracks from the early 
Kimmeridgian intertidal deposits of Wierzbica, Poland. Geological Quarterly 
49(3):339-346.

ABSTRACT: In the early Kimmeridgian (hypselocyclum Zone) tidal flat 
carbonate deposits cropping out in the large Wierzbica quarry at northern 
slope of the Holy Cross Mountains (20 km south of the town of Radom), 
characteristic Pteraichnus sp. tracks have been found. These tracks are 
assigned to pterosaurs and represent the first pterosaur ichnites found in 
Poland. Seven specimens of pterosaur tracks (pes and manus prints) are 
described, although no trackway can be observed. The manual prints are 
asymmetric, digitigrade and tridactyl. The pedal prints are elongate, 
symmetrical, plantigrade and functional-tetradactyl. Presence of pterosaur 
tracks point to subaerial conditions and supports the view that the Late 
Jurassic land, situated in Ukraine and Eastern Poland, temporarily extended 
to the northern part of the Holy Cross Mountains area.

-----------

Farlow, J. O. 2005. The Dinosauria, an updated compendium that matches its 
subject in scale and scope. Historical Biology 17(1-4):49-51. doi: 
10.1080/08912960500183178.

You, H., J. O'Connor, L. M. Chiappe, and Q. Ji. 2005. A new fossil bird from 
the Early Cretaceous of Gansu Province, northwestern China. Historical 
Biology 17(1-4):7-14. doi: 10.1080/08912960500284851.

ABSTRACT: We report on the discovery of an Early Cretaceous bird from 
northwestern Gansu Province, in northwestern China. Represented by a nearly 
complete left wing and shoulder girdle the size of a rock dove, the new bird 
was quarried from laminated yellowish mudstones of the Xiagou Formation 
(Xinminpu Group) near Changma, in the Jiuquan area. These deposits have 
previously yielded the only known specimen of Gansus yumenensis, a basal 
ornithuromorph represented by the distal half of a hind limb with long and 
slender digits. Several derived characters of the new occurrence supports 
its allocation within Enantiornithes: (1) a convex lateral margin of the 
coracoid, (2) a minor metacarpal that projects distally more than the major 
metacarpal and (3) a proximal phalanx of the major digit longer than the 
intermediate (second) phalanx. The general proportions of the wing suggest 
it was a flier comparable to most other known enantiornithine birds. 
Although, direct comparisons between the new fossil and Gansus are not 
possible, phylogenetic based inferences supports their placement into two 
different clades. While the new fossil falls definitively within the 
enantiornithines, G. yumenensis falls within the ornithuromorphs. The new 
occurrence thus adds to the taxonomic diversity of Early Cretaceous birds 
from Gansu Province in particular and central Asia in general.


Le Loeuff, J. 2005. Romanian Late Cretaceous dinosaurs: big dwarfs or small 
giants? Historical Biology 17(1-4):15-17. doi: 10.1080/08912960500376210.

ABSTRACT: It has been argued that the Late Cretaceous dinosaurs from 
Transylvania were affected by dwarfism as a consequence of their evolution 
in an insular habit. However, several bones from Nopcsa's collections housed 
in London and Budapest shows that some Transylvanian saltasaurids reached 
lengths of 10-15 m. These multi-ton animals can hardly be considered as 
dwarfs, even by dinosaurian standards. It is suggested here that 
taphonomical biases, possibly linked to the existence of age-classed 
communities among sauropod populations, explain why the vast majority of 
recovered bones are of young individuals.


Nesbitt, S. J. 2005. Osteology of the Middle Triassic pseudosuchian 
archosaur Arizonasaurus babbitti. Historical Biology 17(1-4):19-47. doi: 
10.1080/08912960500476499.

ABSTRACT: Arizonasaurus babbitti is rediagnosed from a well-preserved 
partial skeleton from the early Middle Triassic Moenkopi Formation of 
northern Arizona. The skull, excluding the braincase, is described and 
compared to other "rauisuchians" and basal archosaurs. Two possible 
autapomorphies include a deep fossa hidden from lateral and medial views on 
the posteroventral edge of the ascending process of the maxilla and a tongue 
(pubic peduncle of the ilium) and groove (proximal portion of the pubis) 
articulation between the pubis and the ilium.
The postcrania is described in detail. Tall neural spines form a sail that 
is similar to those of other basal archosaurs with unknown affinities 
(Ctenosauriscus, Lotosaurus, Bromsgroveia, "Hypselorhachis"). Additional 
characters in the pelvic girdle in Arizonasaurus unite this taxon with 
Ctenosauriscus, Lotosaurus, Bromsgroveia, and Hypselorhachus to form a 
group, the ctenosauriscids. Pelvic characters of the ctenosauriscids are 
also found in Poposaurus and "Chatterjeea", suggesting that ctenosauriscids 
are closely related. A possibly monophyletic group containing Arizonasaurus, 
other ctenosauriscids, Poposaurus, Sillosuchus, and "Chatterjeea" the 
exclusions of most other rauisuchians is proposed based on a new 
understanding of pseudosuchian characters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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/

"And the role of George W. Bush will
be played by: Ralph Wiggum" -- Conan
O'Brien, during "Earth to America," in
listing the fictitious cast of an upcoming
TV movie about global warming.