Re: The Question Of The Day ?

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

>Seriously, I have a fondness for bizarre, somewhat enigmatic dinosaurs,
>like the therizinosauroids ("segnosaurs").  I also reeeeeeeeally wanna know
>what the heck _Deinocheirus_ is!!

Well, except for size, there is nothing to seperate Deinocheirus from the
Ornithomimosauria.  The alledged 'raptorial' claws is hogwash: those
unguals are quite broad transversely and do not have the curve to them that
Torvosaurus, Dryptosaurus, and other large-clawed predatory theropods have.

(Still, it would be good if we found more of the skeleton, just to know for
certain...)

                                
                 Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.                  Phone: 703-648-5280      
                 Vertebrate Paleontologist         Fax:    703-648-5420
tholtz@geochange.er.usgs.gov ------------>       th81@umail.umd.edu
U.S. Geological Survey          ------------->       University of Maryland
Branch of Paleontology & Stratigraphy ---->       Department of Geology
MS 970 National Center
Reston, VA  22092               ------------->        College Park, MD  20742
                                                          U.S.A.