Re: Scipionyx question

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <th81@umail.umd.edu>]

At 11:51 AM 3/27/98 -0800, Sam wrote:
>       Is the animal now called Scipionyx based on the same specimen from
>Benavento that was described by Leonardi and Teruzzi in 1993?

Yes.

>In Glut's new
>dinosaur encyclopedia, a note of Leonardi and Teruzzi's paper is included
>in the section on Velociraptor, and mention is made of a raptorial second
>pedal ungual. Could this animal be a dromaeosaurid?
>
Nope, although Leonardi & Teruzzi hypothesized this because of the structure
of the manus.  However, it is just a typical maniraptoriform manus, and the
hand shares no more features with dromaeosaurids than with troodontids than
with oviraptorosaurs.

The reconstruction with a hyperextensible pedal digit II was speculation
based on their idea that it was a dromaeosaurid.  It is not preserved.

Furthermore, it is propubic, not opisthopubic.

So, sorry: not a dromaeosaurid.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Vertebrate Paleontologist     Webpage: http://www.geol.umd.edu
Dept. of Geology              Email:th81@umail.umd.edu
University of Maryland        Phone:301-405-4084
College Park, MD  20742       Fax:  301-314-9661