Labocania

[smithjb@sas.upenn.edu (Joshua Smith)]

John Fredriksen wrote:
> 
> Back in the mid-1970s I read somewhere that an expedition to Baja,
> Mexico, discovered a giant (and apparently late-surviving) megalosaur
> from the Creteaceous beds there. It was christened Labocania. A huge
> hadrosaur, with a wide, marine-type tail, was also uncovered. Has
> anybody followed up on these interesting discoveries?
> 
        Matt Lamanna and I are currently writing up a redescription and 
interpretation of _Labocania_ based on the type material in Mexico which 
we examined last September.  Don't hold your breaths for anything 
wonderful; the type specimen is rather a piece of junk...

        We could actually only identify the maxilla because there was a 
tooth crown sticking out of it.  Without that crown, personally, I would 
have as easily thought the piece a scapula. I know that sounds weird, but 
you have to see it to believe it.  We will have a website up soon and will 
show some pictures of the beast if there is an interest in that.

        The things people get away with naming in this field...


-- 
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Josh Smith
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