Also in _Palaeontology_

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

  Also in the new _Palaeontology_, mentioned briefly by Jerry Harris, includes
a few other tidbits:

  Senter, P. 2006. Forelimb function in *Ornitholestes hermanni* Osborn
   (Dinosauria, Theropoda). _Palaeontology_ 49 (5):1029-1034.

Abstract:

  "*Ornitholestes hermanni* is a Late Jurassic theropod dinosaur from North
   America. This kinematic study of 8Ornitholestes* uses manual manipulations
of
   forelimb casts to determine range of motion. The manual phalanges of the *O.
   hermanni* holotype, previously unidentified, are here identified as
phalanges
   I-1, I-2 (ungual), II-2 and II-3 (ungual). At all represented manual joints,
   hyperextensibility is small or absent, whereas flexion is strong, as in most
   other theropods. The elbow can be strongly flexed beyond a right angle. When
   data on range of forelimb motion in *Ornitholestes* are added to such data
   from other theropods, high elbow flexion is present in maniraptoriform
   coelurosaurs but not in basal theropods. Forelimb functions requiring strong
   elbow flexion (such as holding objects to the chest, or tucking the forearms
   in for their protection or to reduce wind resistance or heat loss) were
   therefore available to maniraptoriform coelurosaurs but not to basal
   theropods."


  Fröbish, N.B. and Fröbish, J. 2006. A new basal pterosaur genus from the
Upper
   Triassic of the Northern Calcareous Alps of Switzerland. _Palaeontology_
   49(5):1081-1090.

Abstract:

  "A lower jaw with multicusped teeth and a number of unique characteristics
was
   discovered in an extensive exposure of the Upper Triassic Kössen Formation
in
   the Northern Calcareous Alps. The ramus of the jaw is high and dominated by
a
   row of large, oval foramina that lies parallel to the tooth row. In
addition,
   the anterior portion of the dentary exhibits a large number of nutritive
   foramina and small pits, which might indicate an association with a soft
   tissue structure and/or the presence of a keratinous cover of that area
   during life. All elements of the jaw are thin-walled and hollow, possibly
   pneumatic. Two teeth are preserved within the dentary. One is tricuspid and
   the other bears four cuSPS. The teeth are noticeably small in comparison
with
   the overall size of the ramus, being only one-third of the height of the
   ramus. The teeth show a strong similarity to those of the well-known basal
   pterosaur genus *Eudimorphodon*, whose jaw morphology, however, clearly
   differs from the specimen described in this study. The dentition and the
   pneumatic bone structure make an assignment to the Pterosauria plausible.
   Based on the great number of distinct morphological characters the specimen
   is described as *Caviramus schesaplanensis* gen. et sp. nov."

  In addition, a new Early Cretaceous ichthyosaur from the Northwest
Territories is described by Maxwell and Caldwell as *Maiaspondylus lindoei*;
Dorfelt and Schmidt describe a slime mold caught in Baltic amber; and Dave
Polly and others describe the bulla apparatus of *Vivveravus acutus* for the
first time, comprised soley of an ectotympanic.

  The issue is almost worth buying outright!

  And before anyone asks, no, I do not have these papers and I do not have
access to online _Palaeontology_, however much that would be wonderful to have.

  Cheers,

Jaime A. Headden
http://bitestuff.blogspot.com/

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

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