Re: To Euhelopodidae or not to Euhelopodidae...

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

Steven Mahon wrote-

> I have a question regarding the status &/or personal
> opinions of Euhelopodidae. Although *Euhelopus* is
> often considered a titanosaur now, it seems as though
> all the other Euhelopodids are basal
> Eu/Neosauropodans. So, could there be a
> Mamenchisauridae that includes *Datousaurus* &
> *Shunosaurus*?

Recent analyses (Upchurch and Barrett, 2001; Wilson, 2002) agree Shunosaurus
is less derived than Omeisaurus and Mamenchisaurus.  Datousaurus falls out
next to Shunosaurus in Wilson's analysis.
Omeisaurus and Mamenchisaurus may form an Omeisauridae (Wilson, 2002) (or
Mamenchisauridae; I'm not sure which has priority), or Mamenchisaurus could
be more derived than Omeisaurus (Upchurch and Barrett, 2002).

Mickey Mortimer