New in Palaeontology, 48, 2

["Jaime A. Headden" <qilongia@yahoo.com>]

New in Palaeontology:

Barret, P.M. 2005. The diet of ostrich dinosaurs (Theropoda:
Ornithomimosauria). _Palaeontology_ 48(2):347-358.

  Abstract:
  "The diets of ornithomimosaurian dinosaurs (Theropoda:
Ornithomimosauria)
   have proved to be contentious owing to a dearth of unambiguous evidence
   in support of carnivory, omnivory or herbivory. Re-assessment of
   anatomical, taphonomical and palaeoecological evidence, and estimates
of
   daily minimal energy budgets for two derived ornithomimosaurian genera,
   indicate that suspension-feeding and carnivory were unlikely. The
   combined presence of a keratinized rhamphotheca and gastric mill is
   strongly indicative of a herbivorous habitus for these dinosaurs.
   Herbivorous and omnivorous forms are rare among the non-avian
Theropoda,
   but are more common than previously suspected. Rejection of carnivorous
   habits for derived ornithomimosaurs redresses apparent discrepancies in
   the relative abundances of the herbivore and carnivore guilds of
several
   Late Cretaceous faunas."

Jouve, S., B. Bouya and M. Amaghzaz. 2005. A short-snouted dyrosaurid
(Crocodyliformes, Mesoeucrocodylia) from the Palaeocene of Morocco.
_Palaeontology_ 48(2):359-370.

  Abstract:
  "This paper describes a new genus and species of dyrosaurid,
   *Chenanisuchus lateroculi* gen. et sp. nov. (Crocodyliformes,
   Mesoeucrocodylia) from the Thanetien (Late Palaeocene) of the Oulad
   Abdoun Basin, Morocco. This new taxon has a particularly short snout,
as
   well as widely separated and laterally facing orbits. In the holotype,
   the mandible exhibits a retroarticular process that is strongly
   depressed posterior to the glenoid fossa, bringing the ventral margin
of
   the medial wing of the articular to the same level as the ventral
margin
   of the retroarticular process. This feature is shared with *Congosaurus
   bequaerti*, *Dyrosaurus* and isolated dyrosaurid material from Mali and
   Niger, but is absent in the putative closely related crocodyliforms,
   such as pholidosaurids and *Terminonaris*, and could be a dyrosaurid
   character.

  Cheers,

Jaime A. Headden

  Little steps are often the hardest to take.  We are too used to making leaps 
in the face of adversity, that a simple skip is so hard to do.  We should all 
learn to walk soft, walk small, see the world around us rather than zoom by it.

"Innocent, unbiased observation is a myth." --- P.B. Medawar (1969)


                
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