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Re: Ozraptor and Kakuru - Aussie abelisaurs?


Rauhut's study also demonstrates the phylogenetic diversity of Early Cretaceous theropods in Australia. So far, assuming all recent identifications are correct, we have:

Ceratosaurians: _Kakuru_.
Basal tetanurans: "Allosaurus robustus" (=_Fukuiraptor_-like astragalus).
Maniraptorans: ?oviraptoroid jaw; ?dromaeosaurid ulna and teeth; _Rapator_ (alvarezsaurid); _Nanantius_ (enantiornithine bird); feathers.

There's also _Timimus_, but I have no idea what kind of theropod this represents (it was originally described as an ornithomimosaur, but this has been disputed). _Walgettosuchus_ (based on an indeterminate caudal) was found at the same locality and horizon as _Rapator_, so the two may be the same (although I don't know if the caudal conforms to alvarezsaurid morphology).



From: Mickey Mortimer <Mickey_Mortimer111@msn.com>
Reply-To: Mickey_Mortimer111@msn.com
To: dinosaur@usc.edu
Subject: Re: Ozraptor and Kakuru - Aussie abelisaurs?
Date: Tue, 08 Mar 2005 12:23:00 -0800

Tim Williams wrote-

> It contains a lot of info about isolated theropod bones from Tendaguru in
> Tanzania. No new genera or species are described. Very interesting, with
> the Tendaguru theropod fauna dominated by different ceratosaurs. Some
> elements hitherto identified as 'coelurosaurs' are re-identified as small
> abelsiaurs.

The specifics will be up on my website soon, but just for everyone's info-
'Coelurosaurier A' MB.R 1763 is a basal tetanurine tibia (161 mm).  And no,
it's not "Allosaurus" tendagurensis.
'Coelurosaurier B' and 'C' MB.R 1750 and 1751 are abelisauroid tibiae (257
mm).  They differ in a few small points, but are very similar.
Distal ischium MB.R 1756 is a possible ceratosaurian.  It has the same
preservation as 1751 and is from the same locality, so may be the same
taxon.
There are also two fragmentary fibulae and several rib fragments from small
theropods which aren't described.
The numerous small theropod teeth will be examined in another work (Rauhut
and Heinrich).
Hope they get around to the big Tendaguru theropod stuff too.

And I can't wait for this, which is in the references-

RAUHUT, O. W. M. & XU, X. in press. The small theropod dinosaurs
Tugulusaurus and Phaedrolosaurus from the Early Cretaceous of Xinjiang,
China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

Mickey Mortimer
Undergraduate, Earth and Space Sciences
University of Washington
The Theropod Database - http://students.washington.edu/eoraptor/Home.html