Re: MAASTRICHTIAN MARINE REPTILES, NEW VOLUME

[Danvarner@aol.com]

darren.naish@port.ac.uk dutifly reports:

<< Have done a quick search of the DML archives and the 
following does not seem to have been mentioned, so here 
we go. The following new volume arrived this week...

Mulder, E. W. A. 2003. _On Latest Cretaceous Tetrapods 
from the Maastrichtian Type Area_. Publicaties van het 
Natuurhistorisch Genootschap in Limburg, Reeks XLIV, 
aflevering 1. Stichting Natuurpublicaties Limburg, 
Maastricht, pp. 188.

       -snip-

-- Comparative osteology, palaeocology and systematics of 
the Late Cretaceous turtle _Allopleuron hofmanni_ (Gray 
1831) from the Maastrichtian type area. Mulder, E. W. A.

This is the definitive work on _Allopleuron_, a chelonioid 
probably close to the clade that includes _Syllomus_ and 
extant cheloniines. With a rather flat carapace (recalling that 
of extant _Natator_) and a surprisingly long tail, I think 
_Allopleuron_ looks odd. It appears to have been restricted 
to areas where sea grasses grew and conceivably co-evolved 
with these plants. >>

       I briefly saw this volume a few weeks ago at the New Jersey State 
Museum and I did a monstrous double-take (remember Jimmy Findlayson in the 
Laurel 
and Hardy flicks? He was also the guy who invented the Homerian "D'oh!") when 
I saw the long tail of this turtle. Also, does anyone know of any other 
instances of fossil Mesozoic marine vegetation besides the Maastricht 
sea-grasses?

       -another schnip-

<< -- A large new mosasaur from the Upper Cretaceous of The 
Netherlands. Dortangs, R. W., Schulp, A. S., Mulder, E. W. 
A., Jagt, W. M., Peeters, H. H. G. de Graaf, D. Th.

This is the description of _Prognathodon saturator_, also 
known technically as The Chunky Mother (joke). The type 
specimen was scavenged by sharks. Dan Varner did the art. >>

       Art is way too kind a word. Let's just say I'm responsible (guilty) 
for the image. It was a rush job and not the painting I had in mind. DV