Re: stegosaur stuff

["T. Michael Keesey" <mightyodinn@yahoo.com>]

--- Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Mike Keesey wrote:
> 
> >CMIIW, but I don't think there are remains of *large* dromaeosaurids
> >  in the Late Jurassic.
> 
> I believe Brooks Britt (1991) reported dromaeosaurid teeth from the Morrison 
> Formation.  These are comparable to _Deinonychus_ teeth in size.

I stand corrected. (Although I still have trouble envisioning a bunch of 50kg
dromaeosaurids attacking a 2 tonne _Stegosaurus_, especially when there are so
many more suitable predators in the Morrison.)

> >Maybe this is because their defenses really weren't as effective
> >(although good enough to extend their range into the Early
> >Cretaceous).
> 
> Early Cretaceous stegosaurs have been found in Africa, Europe, and Asia.

I know of _Wuerhosaurus_ (EK, China) and indeterminate material from the
Hauterivian of Argentina; what is the African and European material?

> >A post-final thought: Just realized that they went extinct roughly
> >around the same time as the first known large dromaeosaurids. Given
> >the poor sampling and the great number of other faunal changes,
> >though, this could easily be coincidence....
> 
> The Early Cretaceous dromaeosaurid _Phaedrolosaurus_ (admittedly a 
> poorly-known taxon) possibly measured at least 4m long, and co-existed with 
> the stegosaur _Wuerhosaurus_.

I have it as _Coelurosauria_ incertae sedis, but that is possible. (Well,
something had to kill the last species, right? ;)

> Of course, these hypotheses are nearly impossible to prove...

Agreed.

=====
=====> T. Michael Keesey <keesey@bigfoot.com>
=====> The Dinosauricon <http://dinosauricon.com>
=====> BloodySteak <http://bloodysteak.com>
=====> Instant Messenger <Ric Blayze>
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