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RE: Brachytrachelopan mesai [was Short-necked dinosaur challenges accepted theory]

Andrew A. Farke wrote:

Rauhut, O. W. M., K. Remes, R. Fechner, G. Cladera, and P. Puerta. 2005.
Discovery of a short-necked sauropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic period
of Patagonia. 435:670-672.


[snip]

The whole animal only measured about 10 m in estimated length, and it is
pretty apparently an adult. Unfortunately, the specimen is mostly just axial
material--nearly all of the limb elements were eroded away. It's a
crazy-looking beastie, nonetheless. I have renewed respect for sauropods,
that's for sure!

_Brachytrachelopan mesai_ is an extremely interesting lil' sauropod. It looks rather like a stegosaur mimic - without the armor. I wonder what the head looks like (alas, the specimen comes sans skull).

Interestingly, the cladogram shows _Amphicoelias_ as a basal diplodocoid - more basal than _Suuwassea_, rebbachisaurids and dicraeosaurids (like _Brachytrachelopan_). This must be based on new and undescribed material of _Amphicoelias_.

Cheers

Tim



A cladistic analysis places it as sister taxon to Dicraeosaurus.

So that's all I know about it at present. . .cool stuff! This is just one of
the results from the big German Research Foundation grant to study
sauropods. . .

Andy