Aussie "megaraptor" round up (was RE: New Dinosaur May Links S. American, Aussie Dinos)

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@umd.edu>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu [mailto:owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu] 
> On Behalf Of Mark Pankowski
>
> New Dinosaur May Links S. American, Aussie Dinos
>
> Rest of article and photo at...
> 
> http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/080610-austral
ia-dinosaur.html
> 
> 
> Mark Pankowski
> 
Just to note: the new specimen is an ulna. What is shown in the photo is an
Argentine _Megaraptor_ hand.

The phylogenetic analysis (modified from the _Cryolophosaurus_ Smith et al.
matrix) places _Meg._ as a spinosauroid close to Spinosauridae. However, as
everyone whose looked at _Meg._ in recent years admits, either it is a
carcharodontosaurid with spinosauroid features, or a spinosauroid with
carcharodontosaurid features. So don't expect it to settle down in a given
phylogenetic position anytime soon (barring a much more complete skeleton).

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email: tholtz@umd.edu   Phone: 301-405-4084
Office: Centreville 1216                        
Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
Fax: 301-314-9661               

Faculty Director, Earth, Life & Time Program, College Park Scholars
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite/
Fax: 301-405-0796

Mailing Address:        Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                        Department of Geology
                        Building 237, Room 1117
                        University of Maryland
                        College Park, MD 20742 USA