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Re: malawisaurus


Mickey,
Are you perhaps suggesting that Malawisaurus and Nemegtosaurus might be rather distantly related. I can't remember who proposed it, but some have thought that Nemegtosaurids are Diplodocimorphs rather than Macronarians. Or did that turn out to be based on convergences?
------Thanks, Ken
****************************************** 
From: "Mickey_Mortimer11" <Mickey_Mortimer11@email.msn.com>
Reply-To: Mickey_Mortimer11@email.msn.com
To: <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Subject: Re: malawisaurus
Date: Sun, 16 Dec 2001 16:46:41 -0800

Ken Kinman wrote-

> The known skull material of Malawisaurus is apparently very
fragmentary
> (lower jaw and part of upper jaw and some teeth).
> The more complete skull of Nemegtosaurus should be very similar (a
> google search turns up a nice restoration of the skull). So I would think
> the silhouettes of Nemegtosaurus and Malawisaurus would probably be almost
> indistinguishable.

Ahhh! No! Nemegtosaurus and Malawisaurus have completely different skulls.
The premaxilla of Malawisaurus shows it had an extremely short rounded
snout, like a stubby camarasaur without the step above the muzzle.  In
addition, the external naris of Malawisaurus was rather anteriorly placed,
completely unlike the diplodocoid-like nares of Nemegtosaurus.  And it had
long rows of semi-spatulate teeth, not a small number of anteriorly placed
peg-like teeth.

Mickey Mortimer



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