Re: Megaraptor

[Marco Auditore <maaudito@tin.it>]

At 13.30 06/01/2005 -0500, JasNb4@aol.com wrote:
> Greetings again all,
>
> I am currently working on some research on dinosaurs, and in the area of
> tetanurans, I have come upon an anomaly - Megaraptor.  Initially, the 
> reaction was
> 'Oooo, a South American dromaeosaur larger than Utahraptor.' Then it was
> thought of as a grown-up Unenlagia.  Is there a currently settled-upon and
> agreed-upon placement for this species?  Has anyone proposed a possible 
> affinity with
> Spinosauria based on a potential for the 'dromaeosaurian' ungual to be manual
> instead of pedal?  Afterall, the initial reaction to Baryonyx's claw was that
> it belonged on the foot, as well.  Norman's Illustrated Encyclopedia of
> Dinosaurs had 'the Surrey Dinosaur' aka 'Claws' grouped with 
> dromaeosaurs.  It
> wasn't until the relatively complete skeleton was found that the claw was 
> known to
> be manual.  Is it possible that Megaraptor may also be a noasaurid of
> gigantic proportions?  Can someone please give me some much-needed 
> insight?  My only
> references are currently Dinosaurs: The Encyclopedia Supplement I (Glut) and
> the National Geographic issue highlighting the discovery.  Any 
> reccommendations
> to other papers or websites/pdfs would be greatly appreciated.

Based on undescribed new remains we know that the ungual was surely from 
the manus of an allosauroid (possibly Giganotosaurus or another 
carcharodontosaurid).

Marco

MARCO AUDITORE
Via S.Giovanni Battista, 7/23
16154 GENOVA SESTRI P. - ITALY
Tel: +39-010-6044259
E-mail: maaudito@tin.it
Web-Page: http://www.studiotsunami.it/minmi/index.htm

"Volunteer of Museo Paleontologico Cittadino, Monfalcone"
Museum Web-Page: http://www.museomonfalcone.it