Re: STRANGE THEROPOD SKULLS

["Jaime Headden" <jaemei@hotmail.com>]

 *Altispinax*
 *Valdoraptor*
 and *Becklespinax* 

<All three genera are from formations of different ages and localities 
within the Wealden Group.>

Just wondering, but which?

<There's no comparative evidence that they're the same dino. 
_Becklespinax_ is quite primitive in vertebral morphology, despite the 
highly derived neural spines, and most closely resembles 
_Piatnitzkysaurus_ of those that I've seen illustrated.>

So *Eustreptospondylus'* is not a possible closer relative? Pity if it 
isn't, but as I still support a *Piatnitzkysaurus*- *Eustreptospondylus* 
link, this is not too bad. Anybody know of descriptions of Eustrepto's 
vertebrae without referral to a paper?

<_Valdoraptor_ is pretty much junk, although it's clearly not 
_Megalosaurus_ (the genus in which the type species was originally 
created) and not tyrannosaurid (no pinched MT III). It could be 
_Neovenator_, I suppose.>

That would be interesting.

<If I ever make it to London to see the types, I'll write up 
descriptions of _Becklespinax_ and _Valdoraptor_, unless somebody else 
physically closer to the material is working on this already.>

Either is desireable, and about time, too.

Jaime A. Headden

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