Re: Gigantoraptor stuff

[Pedro Andrade <dinosauria_pt@yahoo.com>]

Even if Gigantoraptor is not Deinocheirus, this thing
bugs me: is there any special reason why Late
Cretaceous maniraptoriforms in Mongolia grew so large?
Apart from Gigantoraptor and Deinocheirus there's also
giant therizinosaurids and Achillobator.

Why did this happen in Mongolia and not say, North
America?

--- "Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>
wrote:

> > From: owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu
> [mailto:owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
> > John Conway
> >
> > Since the abstract doesn't mention it; I'm going
> to ask the obvious
> > question: how similar is it to /Deinocheirus/?
> >
> (Since Jeff mentions that Nature has lifted the
> embargo, I'll go ahead and answer):
> 
> Not very. Nor much like Therizinosaurus, either. In
> fact, its arm and hand are more similar to basal
> eumaniraptorans than to other
> oviraptorosaurs, in terms of propotions.
> 
> Phylogenetic analysis places it as the basalmost
> oviraptorid (deep within Oviraptorosauria, closer to
> Oviraptor than Caenagnathus).
> Its caudals are somphospondylian/massospondylian
> (i.e., spongy as a poriferan).
> 
> Hindlimb proportions are marginally more elongate
> than similar sized tyrannosaurids: this thing was a
> mover!!
> 
> Cranium is not known: it would cool if it had a
> crest! Mandible is intermediate in form between
> Caenagnathus/Caenagnathasia and
> typical oviraptorids in terms of relative dentary
> size.
> 
> This thing is HUGE: Albertosaurus-sized. If it ate
> "small vertebrates", those small vertebrates could
> include protoceratopsids...
> 
> It's "birdiness" are mostly convergences, as with
> oviraptorids (and caenagnathoids in general), as
> more basal oviraptorosaurs lack
> these traits.
> 
> It is from the Iren Dabasu, which means that fauna
> includes one or more big therizinosaurs, a
> medium-sized tyrannosauroid, a huge
> dromaeosaurid, and a titanic oviraptorosaur.
> Coelurosauria Central!
> 
>               Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
>       Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
> Department of Geology         Director, Earth, Life & Time
> Program
> University of Maryland                College Park Scholars
>       Mailing Address:
>               Building 237, Room 1117
>               College Park, MD  20742
> 
> http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
> http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite
> Phone:        301-405-4084    Email:  tholtz@geol.umd.edu
> Fax (Geol):  301-314-9661     Fax (CPS-ELT):
> 301-405-0796
> 
> 



       
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