Scleromochlus warning (was RE: dinos and birds)

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>]

> From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
> Jaime A. Headden
>
> Dora Smith (villandra@austin.rr.com) wrote:
>
> <Was Schleromochlus warm and fuzzy too?>
>
>   No. Several specimens of the only known eight preserved a series of
> dorsal or ventral, belly, scales in multiple rows akin to those seen in
> aetosaurs, being broad, narrow plates around the torso. The basal
> dinosauriform *Lewisuchus* has a series of triangular scutes above its
> neck, and it is likely that *Scleromochlus,* which may be either a
> crocodylomorphan or a dinosauromorphan, had these scute and plates all
> over its body. No specimen, despite restorations to the contrary, shows
> fluffy integument or a membrane along the hindleg.

One massive warning about little Schleromochlus: the critter is preserved as
a natural mold in sandstone: consequently, there is basically zero chance of
preserving impressions of anything like hair anyway (given that the diameter
of hair is many times thinner than individual sand grains).

Furthermore, I was once warned to be highly cautious of pretty much all
interpretations of small-scale anatomical details in Schleromochlus: it's so
small that many of the features identified in various papers are pretty
close to the grain size of the surrounding sediment, so there has to be some
honest skepticism about the reality of these features. Not to say that they
aren't real, only that the exact size and shape of such features might not
be accurately reflected (they are "sedimentologically pixelated", to coin a
new phrase).

Hope that helps,

                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                Vertebrate Paleontologist
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
                College Park, MD  20742
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/tholtz.htm
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite
Phone:  301-405-4084    Email:  tholtz@geol.umd.edu
Fax (Geol):  301-314-9661       Fax (CPS-ELT): 301-405-0796