Revelation of the New Papers

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Dutta, D. and Ambwani, K. (2007).  Capers: A food for Upper Cretaceous 
dinosaurs of Pisdura, India.  Current Science (Bangalore) 92 : 897-899.

No abstract, but here's the first paragraph.  I guess the authors really 
know their sh*t...

"Pisdura, a well-known Upper Cretaceous dinosaur locality in Warora 
district, Maharashtra is known for reptilian coprolites.  Based on their 
external morphology, coprolites can be grouped under four main types (A, B, 
Ba, C).  Coprolites described by various workers from this area contain 
exclusively vegetal matter and their association with titanosaurid sauropod 
skeletal remains reflects that these animals were the producers.  Though 
recovery of plant remains from these coprolites is scarce and fragmentary, a 
few records of megaflora (dicots and monocots, including pollen and 
cuticles) have also been described. Presence of monocotylednous seeds 
belonging to the family Arecaceae was reported earlier.  Recovery of grass 
phytoliths from all known categories of coprolites mentioned above suggests 
that Late Cretaceous titanosaurid sauropods of Pisdura were grass-eaters and 
grass was present during the Late Cretaceous.  Occurrence of chelonians has 
been reported from the Lameta Formation of Pisdura.  It is likely that other 
carnivorous reptiles also must have been thriving in the same phytozones."


The other two papers describe some scrappy dinosaur material.  No new taxa 
are named...

Maganuco, S., Cau, A., Dal Sasso, C., and Pasini. G. (2007).  Evidence of 
large theropods from the Middle Jurassic of the Mahajanga Basin, NW 
Madagascar, with implications for ceratosaurian
pedal ungual evolution.  Atti Soc. it. Sci. nat. Museo civ. Stor. nat. 
Milano, 148 (II): 261-271.

Abstract: "Two large theropod remains from the Middle Jurassic (Isalo IIIb, 
Bathonian) of the Mahajanga Basin, NW Madagascar, are here described. They 
consist of a large tooth crown and a pedal ungual.  The tooth is similar to 
the teeth of some basal tetanuran theropods, but we cautiously refer it to 
Theropoda incertae sedis.  The pedal ungual, pertaining to a close relative 
of the abelisauroids but not to a member of the Abelisauroidea, shows that 
non-abelisauroid ceratosaurian theropods were present in the Middle Jurassic 
of Madagascar and provides new insight into the evolution of the 
ceratosaurian pedal unguals.  Both remains reveal the large body size 
attained by the Middle Jurassic Malagasy theropods."


Alifanov, V. R. and Averianov, A. O. (2006).  On the finding of ornithomimid 
dinosaurs (Saurischia, Ornithomimosauria) in the Upper Cretaceous beds of 
Tajikistan.  Paleontological J. 40: 103-108.

Abstract: "Fragmentary remains of ornithomimids (Ornithomimidae indet.) from 
the Lower Santonian (Upper Cretaceous) Kansai locality in northwestern 
Fergana (Tajikistan) are described, and the composition of its dinosaurian 
assemblage is updated."

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