AUSSIE ORNITHISCHIANS

[Tetanurae@aol.com]

Jaime Headden wrote on Muttaburasaurus:
 <<Most recently, this taxon has been interpreted as a
 basal dryomorph, closer to hypsi-types than
 iguanodonts, that is, a basal dryomorph or similar. I
 would tentatively agree;>>

Not to get on Jaime's case, but it can't be a basal Dryomorph and be closer 
to "hypsi-types" than iguanodonts at the same time :-)  Yes I'm picking nits, 
I know....

As to what I suspect M. langdoni is....  I am not really sure, but I do think 
it looks like a Euornithopod ={Hypsilophodon + Lambeosaurus} because of some 
features of the teeth.  There was an article a few years ago on similarities 
of the teeth in this guy and in basal Ceratopians, but I really doubt that 
that's indicitive of a close relationship.

 <<similar Gondwanan taxa include the African *Dysalotosaurus/Dryosaurus 
lettowvorbecki* and *Kangnasaurus coetzei*, and the S.American 
*Gasparinisaura cincosaltensis*, and the Antarctic "dryosaur." Similar 
fossils from New Zealand, apparently.>>
 
There are a lot of Gondwanan basal Iguanodontians...  In fact, I think a good 
case could be made that the origin of the Iguanodontia was in Gondwana 
because there are so many basal forms throughout South America, Africa and 
Australia, and only a few forms showing up in the north (Dryosaurus, 
Camptosaurus) until the middle of the Cretaceous....  Though, conversely, it 
could be suggested that only the basal iguanodontians made it to the south 
and flourished there.

<<*Atlascopcosaurus loadsi*>>

I am not sure what this is, and unfortunately it is very fragmentary.  It 
does seem to have teeth indicative of Euornithopod relationships, and may 
even be a real gosh-darned hypsilophodontid (though biogeographically, I 
doubt that).

<<*Laeallynasaura (not off the top of my head)*>>

Again, this is a really fragmentary animal...  I do not think it is an 
euornithopod though... The teeth are more 'primitive' and there are some 
other features which may link it with a more basal ornithopod radiation (like 
with Othnielia etc)

<<*Fulgurotherium australe*>>

No idea.

<<*Qantassaurus intrepidus* and *Q. sp.*:>>

I don't have the paper, so no idea.
 
There are some other un-named femoral forms from Rich and Rich 92? that look 
really dryosaurid, and have a lot of similarities to some other Southern 
forms (more later)
 
But then again, everything is starting to look like a dryosaurid....