The Emperor's New Papers

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

A couple of "real" publications:


Maganuco, S., Cau, A., Dal Sasso, C., and Pasini, G. 2007. Evidence of large 
theropods from the Middle Jurassic of the Mahajanga Basin, NW MAdagascar, 
with implications for ceratosaurian pedal ungual evolution. Atti della 
Società Italiana di Scienze Naturali e del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale 
di Milano 148(2):261-271.

ABSTRACT: Two large theropod remains from the Middle Jurassic (Isalo IIIb, 
Bathonian) of the Mahajanga Basin, NW Madagascar, are here described. They 
consist of a large tooth crown and a pedal ungual. The tooth is similar to 
the teeth of some basal tetanuran theropods, but we cautiously refer it to 
Theropoda incertae sedis. The pedal ungual, pertaining to a close relative 
of the abelisauroids but not to a member of the Abelisauroidea, shows that 
non-abelisauroid ceratosaurian theropods were present in the Middle Jurassic 
of Madagascar and provides new insight into the evolution of the 
ceratosaurian pedal unguals. Both remains reveal the large body size 
attained by the Middle Jurassic Malagasy theropods.


Oheim, K.B. 2007. Fossil site prediction using geographic information 
systems (GIS) and suitability analysis: The Two Medicine Formation, MT, a 
test case. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 
251(3-4):354-365. doi: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2007.04.005.

ABSTRACT: Fossil site discovery has traditionally been the result of 
educated guesswork followed by systematic searching of terrain. This study 
approached the issues of fossil site identification by looking at key 
variables in a GIS setting. The data were analyzed to create a predictive 
model for finding fossils, thus facilitating the process of fossil discovery 
and saving time and money. Geospatial variables believed to be most useful 
for finding fossils were examined and ranked on a scale from 1 to 4, with 4 
being the most advantageous score for finding fossils. Weighted sum addition 
combined the layers to create a suitability surface. Field testing and 
subsequent analysis showed the model accurately predicted areas of high, 
medium, and low fossil likelihood. Field observations and additional site 
data led to model refinements and increased resolution of fossil density 
distribution. The final model explained a statistically significant 90% of 
fossil density variation in the Two Medicine Formation.



...and several on-line first (unedited manuscripts) from _Cretaceous 
Research_:

Báez, A.M., Muzzopappa, P., and Nicoli, L. 2007. Anurans from the Candeleros 
Formation (?Cenomanian-Turonian) of west-central Argentina: new evidence for 
pipoid evolution. Cretaceous Research. doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2007.01.004.

ABSTRACT: The fluvio-lacustrine deposits of the ?Cenomanian-Turonian 
Candeleros Formation in the northwestern fringe of Patagonia have yielded 
numerous remains of vertebrates, including anurans. A new, partially 
articulated immature specimen of a small pipimorph pipoid from the upper 
part of this unit is described herein. Although incompletely preserved, the 
morphology and proportions of the skeleton are strongly reminiscent of 
corresponding elements of the holotype of Avitabatrachus uliana from the 
lower section of the same formation at a nearby locality, thus suggesting 
that these specimens might represent the same, or a closely related, taxon. 
The new specimen is a metamorphosing individual: it has a zygapophyseal 
articulation between the sacrum and the neural arch of a postsacral vertebra 
that bears conspicuous transverse processes, and four pairs of ribs. These 
traits are not present in the available material of A. uliana, but they 
might have occurred within the normal range of variation of a single 
species. Although the generic and specific allocation of the new material is 
uncertain, a parsimony analysis performed to clarify the relationships of A. 
uliana supports a phylogenetic placement of this taxon outside the crown 
Pipidae. The evidence provided by the Candeleros anurans confirms the 
presence of stem pipids in Patagonia in the early Late Cretaceous.


Martill, D.M. 2007. The age of the Cretaceous Santana Formation fossil 
Konservat-Lagerstätte of north-east Brazil: a historical review and an 
appraisal of the biochronostratigraphic utility of its biota. Cretaceous 
Research. doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2007.01.002.

ABSTRACT: This paper is concerned with the famous fossil-bearing carbonate 
concretions of the Romualdo Member of the Santana Formation Konservat 
Lagerstätten of north-east Brazil. This palaeontologically important level 
was first dated as Cretaceous by the French palaeoichthyologist Louis 
Agassiz on the basis of fish fossils obtained by Bavarian explorers Spix and 
Martius between 1817 and 1820 and Scottish botanist and explorer George 
Gardner between 1836 and 1841. Gardner equated the concretion level with the 
English Albian 'Upper Greensands' on the basis of an imagined similarity of 
stratigraphic sequence with that of the Isle of Wight, southern England. 
Since then high precision dating of this remarkable deposit has proved 
elusive and the concretion-bearing part of the Santana Formation has been 
variously dated as early Late Cretaceous or late Early Cretaceous. Attempts 
at greater precision over the last 30 years have cited its age variously as 
Aptian, Albian or possibly Cenomanian, but few reliable data have been 
presented to support these dates.


Fox, R.C., Scott, C.S., and Bryant, H.N. 2007. A new, unusual therian mammal 
from the Upper Cretaceous of Saskatchewan, Canada. Cretaceous Research. doi: 
10.1016/j.cretres.2006.12.005.

ABSTRACT: An incomplete lower jaw with teeth, documents the presence of a 
new genus and species of placental mammal from the Upper Cretaceous 
(Lancian; late Maastrichtian) Frenchman Formation, Saskatchewan, Canada. 
This new mammal is characterized by highly compressed lower molars that 
decrease in size from m1 to m3 and superficially resemble the molars of 
Tertiary Mesonychia. These resemblances, however, are interpreted as 
convergent, and the new mammal is classified in its own family and incertae 
sedis at the ordinal level. This new mammal thus joins other recent 
discoveries in western Canada of mammals of Tertiary aspect (Condylarthra; 
Taeniodonta) occurring in the Late Cretaceous.


Agnolin, F.L., and Martinelli, A.G. 2007. Did oviraptorosaurs (Dinosauria; 
Theropoda) inhabit Argentina? Cretaceous Research. doi: 
10.1016/j.cretres.2006.10.006.

ABSTRACT: In this contribution a putative oviraptorosaurian cervical 
vertebra discovered in the Campanian-Maastrichtian El Brete Formation from 
Salta Province, NW Argentina is analysed. Based on the resemblances of this 
vertebra with those of the basal neoceratosaurian Elaphrosaurus and with the 
noasaurid Noasaurus, the Salta specimen is interpreted to belong to the 
third or fourth cervical vertebrae of a Noasauridae (eventually Noasaurus). 
Furthermore, it is suggested that the supposed anterior cervical vertebrae 
of Masiakasaurus, Laevisuchus and Noasaurus possibly correspond to a more 
posterior position than previously considered. Contrary to abelisaurids, the 
morphology of the anterior cervical vertebrae of noasaurids indicates that 
they probably were long neck theropods resembling ornithomimid coelurosaurs. 
Therefore, the occurrence of oviraptorosaurs in Argentina is rejected.


Pereda-Suberbiola, X., Fuentes, C., Meijide, M., Meijide-Fuentes, F., and 
Meijide-Fuentes, M., Jr. 2007. New remains of the ankylosaurian dinosaur 
Polacanthus from the Lower Cretaceous of Soria, Spain. Cretaceous Research. 
doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2006.09.001.

ABSTRACT: The Zorralbo locality of the eastern Cameros Basin, near Soria, 
Spain, has produced a diverse dinosaur assemblage from the Lower Cretaceous 
Golmayo Formation. Ankylosaurs are represented by dorsal vertebrae and ribs, 
a fragmentary sacrum and ilium, and several types of dermal armour. Most, if 
not all, of the material probably belongs to a single medium to large-sized 
adult individual. The Soria remains are referred to Polacanthus on the basis 
of the presence of conical, ungrooved presacral spines, a sacropelvic shield 
composed of irregularly arranged bosses and small tubercles, large spined 
plates, and hollow-based triangular caudal plates with an extended posterior 
basal edge and a pointed spine. Polacanthus is well known from the Wealden 
Group (Barremian-Aptian) of the Isle of Wight and from the Weald Clay Group 
of West Sussex (England). In addition, isolated remains have been reported 
from the penicontemporaneous formations of the Iberian Peninsula. The Soria 
outcrop is currently the most productive Polacanthus site outside England. 
Moreover, it has yielded the oldest record (late Hauterivian to basal 
Barremian according to charophyte association) of this ankylosaur known to 
date in Europe. Minor anatomic differences between the Soria material and 
the taxa P. foxii (type-species) and P. rudgwickensis suggest the presence 
of a third species of Polacanthus in the Iberian Peninsula, but additional 
material is needed to confirm this interpretation.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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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