Re: Megaraptor a carnosaur?

["Mickey Mortimer" <Mickey_Mortimer111@msn.com>]

T. Michael Keesey wrote-

> This citation was recently brought to my attention:
>
> "Megaraptor namunhuaiquii (Novas 1998), a new light about its philogenetic
> [sic] relationship" CALVO, J.O.; PORFIRI, J.D.; VERALLI, C.D.; NOVAS
FERNANDO.
> I Congreso Latinoamericano de Paleontologia de Vertebrados, Octubre de
2002
> Santiago de Chile, en calidad de Expositor.
>
> (mentioned here:
http://www.proyectodino.com.ar/curriculums/juan-extenso.htm)
>
> Apparently the presentation involved new _Megaraptor_ material, including
an
> articulated forelimb which shows the large ungual to be a manual, not
pedal. I
> have also heard that the material shows it to be allosauroid.
>
> Does anyone know more about this?

See http://www.proyectodino.com.ar/publicaciones/mega.html

Calvo, J.O., Porfiri, J., Veralli, C. y Novas, F. 2002. Megaraptor
namunhuaiquii (Novas, 1998), a new light about its phylogenetic
relationships. Primer Congreso latinoamericano de Paleontología de
Vertebrados. Santiago de Chile, Octubre del 2002. p.20.

On 1998, Novas described Megarapator namunhuaiquii, a fragmentary theropod
of uncertain affinities. On June of 2002, new materials were recovered at
the Upper Cretaceous Futalognko paleontological site, placed on the north
coast of Los Barreales lake, Neuquén. Up to now, we have collected a
complete right manus, ulna, and radius, left scapula and coracoid, one
cervical vertebra, two anterior and one middle caudals, one metatarsal IV
and hemal arches. The blade-like olecranon process on proximal ulna and the
distal end of ulna stout and triangular in distal aspect is identical to
that described for Megaraptor. The manual phalanx 1.I and the claw are also
very similar. Digit I is the longest of the manus with a claw identical to
the Megaraptor pes claw described by Novas. Digit II is shorter than I, and
Digit III is the shortest. A vestigial digit IV is represented by just a
metacarpal. A preliminary cladistic analysis shows Megaraptor inside
Tetanure. It has cervical centra surface opisthocoelous; scapular blade
long, slender and strap-like, distal expansion of the scapular reduced less
than width of proximal end of scapula; metacarpal III clearly shorter than
metacarpal II, manual ungual length unusually long. The neural spine
surpasses the level of the epipophysis as in Piatnitzkysaurus and
Allosaurus; caudal centra have a small pleurocoels as in
Carcharodontosauridae. The coracoid has a posterior process well developed
as in other Neotetanurans with the distal end directed ventroposteriorly.

Some pictures are at-
http://www.proyectodino.com.ar/fotosgrandes/jorgegrande.jpg
http://www.neuquentur.gov.ar/Proyecto_Dino/novedades%20fotos/hallazgomega.jp
g
http://www.neuquentur.gov.ar/Proyecto_Dino/novedades%20fotos/prepcaudal.jpg

There are also other interesting abstracts linked from
http://www.proyectodino.com.ar/publicaciones.html .

And a new unpublished nomen nudum- "Futalogknosaurus"
http://www.proyectodino.com.ar/novedades/19deMayo/19demayo.html
Probably for this specimen-
http://www.proyectodino.com.ar/publicaciones/montana.html

Mickey Mortimer