Afrovenator

[Tom Holtz <tholtz@geochange.er.usgs.gov>]

> From: Flyinggoat@aol.com
> >
> > One, for example, is a meat-eating predator that looked like a scaled-up
> > version of Velociraptor, the villain of the movie ''Jurassic Park,'' or a
> > scaled-down version of Tyrannosaurus rex.
>
>Hmm, is this saying it is a maniraptoran?

Actually, it is nothing at all like either Velociraptor or Tyrannosaurus.
Afrovenator looks like a basic "carnosaur", and appears to be related to
Torvosaurus

> >
> > Sereno has named the new predatory dinosaur Afrovenator abakensis,
>
>Unless I have missed the formal naming, this should read "will name".
>Until a proper description and naming is published in the approved
>manner the name is not official, and is thus not binding.

Afrovenator was named in the Oct. 9 issue of Science.

                                
Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.                                   
tholtz@geochange.er.usgs.gov
Vertebrate Paleontologist in Exile                  Phone:      703-648-5280
U.S. Geological Survey                                FAX:      703-648-5420
Branch of Paleontology & Stratigraphy
MS 970 National Center
Reston, VA  22092
U.S.A.