Re: RAJASAURUS

["Tim Williams" <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Mickey Mortimer wrote:

> Walker (1964) specified the holotype of Lametasaurus as the numerous scutes
> found in association with presumed abelisaur material.  This latter 
> material
> (sacrum, ilia, tibia) was originally described as part of Lametasaurus
> (syntypes?), but near certainly doesn't belong with the scutes, which are
> probably titanosaurian or perhaps ankylosaurian.  Some are even 
> crocodilian.

Walker designated the scutes as the type material for _Lametasaurus 
indicus_, so as to remain faithful to Matley's (1923) identification of this 
species as an armored dinosaur.  Thus, the name _Lametasaurus indicus_ 
cannot be (or should not be) regarded as a senior synonym of any other 
abelisaur from the Lameta Formation - including _Rajasaurus namardensis_.

BTW, apparently the sacrum and ilia that were assigned by Matley to 
_Lametasaurus indicus_ (but removed by from the type by Walker) are now 
lost.  :-(  This is according to Wilson et al. (2003), who suggest that 
these remains may pertain to _Rajasaurus_.   The ilium is very robust, and 
the preacetabular lobe of the ilium is flared laterally to an impressive 
degree, and is twisted nearly horizontally, as is the postacetabular lobe 
(evident in  _Lametasaurus_), so one can forgive Matley for mistaking this 
material as coming from an ankylosaur.

Also, the description of _Rajasaurus_ by Wilson et al. (2003) also features 
a new name for an old sauropod (well, five years ago).  This new genus will 
be described in a forthcoming paper (and I also heard it appeared as the 
most recent SVP), so I won't discuss it any further - the very last thing I 
want to do is add to the number of unofficial dinosaur genera circulating in 
the ether.  To that effect, I would suggest that if anybody else has caught 
sight of this name, it is probably best NOT to mention it on the list.  As a 
wise man once said: W4TP.  It won't be too long.




Tim

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