More New Papers LIVES!

["Jerry D. Harris" <jharris@dixie.edu>]

First up: the turtles:

Joyce, W.G., Jenkins, F.A., Jr., and Rowe, T. 2006. The presence of cleithra 
in the basal turtle Kayentachelys aprix; pp. 93-103 in Danilov, I.G. and 
Parham, J.F. (eds.), Fossil Turtle Research, Volume 1. Russian Journal of 
Herpetology 13 (suppl.).

ABSTRACT: A morphological review of all available Kayentachelys aprix 
material reveals the presence of cleithra, a primitive dermal component of 
the pectoral girdle. These structures are homologous with the equivalently 
placed «epiplastral processes» of other basal turtles, thus revealing the 
unambiguous retention of cleithra in the turtle stem lineage. The occurrence 
of cleithra in primitive turtles calls into question their placement within 
crown Sauria, as reacquisition and subsequent loss of cleithra within the 
turtle stem lineage is thereby implied. Fossil evidence reveals that 
cleithra were lost twice within the turtle crown group.

Joyce, W.G., and Karl, H.-V. 2006. The world's oldest fossil turtle: fact 
versus fiction; pp. 104-111 in Danilov, I.G. and Parham, J.F. (eds.), Fossil 
Turtle Research, Volume 1. Russian Journal of Herpetology 13 (suppl.).

ABSTRACT: Priscochelys hegnabrunnensis is a fossil vertebrate previously 
described from a single fragment from the Middle Triassic (lower Ladinian) 
of Hegnabrunn, Germany. A morphological review of the type specimen confi 
rms the identity of this taxon as a turtle, as opposed to a placodont, based 
on the lack of distinct bony sutures and the presence of irregularly sized, 
conical scutes that exhibit highly distinct sulci. The apparent presence of 
a larger number of supramarginals relative to Proganochelys quenstedti 
indicates that this taxon may be the most basal known turtle to date. The 
habitat preferences of Priscochelys hegnabrunnensis remain uncertain, given 
that the available material was found mixed with marine and terrestrial 
faunas.


Then, the various and sundry basal diapsids:

Dalla Vecchia, F.M. 2005. Resti di Tanystropheus, saurotterigi e 'rauisuchi' 
(Reptilia) nel Triassico Medio della Val Aupa (Moggio Udinese, Udine). 
Gortania 27:25-48.

ABSTRACT: Isolated and scattered skeletal remains of reptiles are reported 
from several different levels of the informal lithostratigraphic unit known 
as "torbiditi d'Aupa" (late Anisian, Middle Triassic) of the Aupa Valley 
(Moggio Udinese, Udine Province, Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, NE Italy). 
They are mostly referred to the bizarre protorosaurian Tanystropheus and 
consist of cervical, dorsal, sacral and caudal vertebrae, ribs, teeth, a 
clavicle and an ilium. Less common are the bones referable to the 
sauropterygians: a fragment of an armour from a cyamodontoidean placodont, a 
centrum of a caudal vertebra and two ilei of indeterminate 
eusauropterygians, a Nothosaurus tooth and a large neural arch and a femur 
possibly referable to this latter genus. Reptiles better suited to life in 
the open sea, like the ichthyosaurians, are absent. A calcaneum and a dorsal 
osteoderm belong to terrestrial archosaurians, probably "rauisuchians". 
Tanystropheus remains prevail over those of sauropterygians like in the 
middle part of the basinal Grenzbitumenzone (Upper Anisian) of Mt. S. 
Giorgio (Switzerland and Italy) where also "rauisuchians" were found. The 
"torbiditi d'Aupa" were considered a deep marine unit made of turbidite 
layers. The relative abundance of coastal reptiles with limited swimming 
capabilities like Tanystropheus is unusual for such a depositionary 
environment suggesting that at least a part of the "torbiditi d'Aupa" did 
not originate in a deep turbiditic basin.


Up next, the new pterosaur:

Averianov, A.O. 2007. New records of azhdarchids (Pterosauria, Azhdarchidae) 
from the Late Cretaceous of Russia, Kazakhstan, and central Asia. 
Paleontological Journal 41(2):189-197. doi: 10.1134/S0031030107020098.

ABSTRACT: A review of 12 azhdarchid localities in Russia, Kazakhstan, 
Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan is given. New records of unidentifiable 
azhdarchids from the Khodzhakul (Cenomanian), Tyul'keli 
(Turonian-Coniacian), Kansai (Santonian), Malaya Serdoba, and Beloe Ozero 
(Campanian) localities and a new taxon, Aralazhdarcho bostobensis gen. et 
sp. nov. (Shakh-Shakh, Santonian-Campanian), are described.


Then, finally, the birdies:

Feduccia, A., Martin, L.D., and Tarsitano, S. 2007. Archaeopteryx 2007: quo 
vadis? Auk 124(2):373-380.

(In case you're wondering, its really more of the same boilerplate this trio 
has been pushing for a couple of decades now, applied in many ways to 
"microraptors" -- which are birds, of course [!] -- in comparison to 
_Archaeopteryx_, with some emphasis on the Thermopolis specimen.  Lots of 
assertions, little data to back them up, and no point-by-point discussions 
of the numerous things they've already said that have been rebutted 
elsewhere.  >>>SIGH<<<)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jerry D. Harris
Director of Paleontology
Dixie State College
Science Building
225 South 700 East
St. George, UT  84770   USA
Phone: (435) 652-7758
Fax: (435) 656-4022
E-mail: jharris@dixie.edu
and     dinogami@gmail.com
http://cactus.dixie.edu/jharris/

"Trying to estimate the divergence times
of fungal, algal or prokaryotic groups on
the basis of a partial reptilian fossil and
protein sequences from mice and humans
is like trying to decipher Demotic Egyptian with
the help of an odometer and the Oxford
English Dictionary."
              -- D. Graur & W. Martin (_Trends
                  in Genetics_ 20[2], 2004)