Dalianraptor cuhe (was RE: Dalianraptor and Gallimimus "mongoliensis")

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Mickey Mortimer wrote:

> More of a surprise is Dalianraptor.  Mentioned by Chiappe and Dyke (2006)-
> [snip]
> Gao C. and Liu J. 2005. A new avian taxon from Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang 
> Formation of western Liaoning. Global
> Geology 24(4):313-316. (in Chinese).

Abstract: "A new avian taxon _Dalianraptor cuhe_ gen. et. sp. nov. from the 
Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Chaoyang Basin, western Liaoning, is 
described.  _Dalianraptor_ is different from other genera of Avialae in 
having lower jaw with crest, longer hindlimbs than the forelimbs, 
forelimb/hindlimb is 0.82, unfused metacarpals, the reversed hallux opposite 
to others, and a tail with fewer than 23 caudal vertebrae."

It's my guess that the genus is named after the port city of Dalian, in 
Liaoning Province.  Even though the authors regard it as a bird, and there's 
no evidence it was predatory, they give it the suffix "raptor".  Based on 
the plates, _Dalianraptor_ would be about 50-55cm long.  The tail has a nice 
feathery tuft on its end, but the wings (if present) are not preserved.  I'm 
not sold on the "reversed hallux" until the morphology of metatarsal I is 
fully described.  I'd be surprised if _Dalianraptor_ could have flown.  It 
might be nice to compare this putative avialan to _Yandangornis_.  That's 
all I got, given that only the abstract is in English.

Cheers

Tim