Attack of the Killer New Papers

[Rob Taylor <rjtaylor68@comcast.net>]

(Title still available, I hope? Hey, possibly a new source of funding for 
Dixie State College - registering official "new paper" titles.)

It appears that amid all the recent interplanetary-themed posting, the 
following may have escaped attention:

Lü, J., Y. Azuma, R. Chen, W. Zheng, and X. Jin. 2008. A New Titanosauriform 
Sauropod from the Early Late Cretaceous of Dongyang, Zhejiang Province. Acta 
Geologica Sinica 82(2):225-235. [with 1 figure, 2 tables & 4 plates]

Abstract: A new titanosauriform sauropod Dongyangosaurus sinensis gen. et 
sp. nov. from the early Late Cretaceous of Dongyang County, Zhejiang 
Province, is erected based on a partial postcranial skeleton. It is 
characterized by complex laminae on the lateral surface of the neural spines 
and postzygapophyses of dorsal vertebrae, a distinct fossa on the ventral 
surfaces of the prezygapophyses of dorsal vertebrae, distinct fossae are 
also present on the lateral surface of the postzygapophysis of anterior 
caudal vertebrae; pubis is shorter than ischium, the small obturator foramen 
of pubis elongated, and nearly closed. The lamina complexity of dorsal 
vertebrae in Dongyangosaurus indicates that a higher diversity of 
titanosauriformes occurred during the early Late Cretaceous in China.

Lü, J., T. Li, S. Zhong, Q. Ji, and S. Li. 2008. A New Mamenchisaurid 
Dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Yuanmou, Yunnan Province, China. Acta 
Geologica Sinica 82(1):17-26. [with 1 figure, 6 tables & 4 plates]

Abstract: A new mamenchisaurid dinosaur, Eomamenchisaurus yuanmouensis gen. 
et sp. nov. is erected based on an incomplete skeleton from the Zhanghe 
Formation, the Middle Jurassic of Yuanmou, Yunnan Province. The new taxon is 
characterized by absence of pleurocoels in dorsal vertebrae and the dorsal 
vertebrae with slightly convex anterior articular surfaces, moderately 
concave posterior articular surfaces; the fourth trochanter is developed 
posteromedially on the femur; length ratio of the tibia to the femur is 
approximately 0.64; and the shaft of the ischium is rod-like. Two fused 
centra of the posterior dorsal vertebrae (the presumed 9th and 10th dorsal 
vertebrae) are similar to those in other mamenchisaurid dinosaurs, including 
Mamenchisaurus hochuanesis, M. youngi and Chuanjiesaurus anaensis. 
Therefore, fusion of centra of the ninth and the tenth dorsal vertebrae can 
be recognized as a synapomorphic character of the Mamenchisauridae.

Mo, J.-Y., C.-L. Huang, Z.-R. Zhao, W. Wei, and X. Xu. 2008. A new 
titanosaur (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of Guangxi, 
China. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 46(2):147-156. [with 1 figure & 1 table]

A new titanosaurian taxon, Qingxiusaurus youjiangensis gen. et sp. nov., 
from the Upper Cretaceous red beds of Nanning City, Guangxi, China is 
reported. It is represented by several postcranial elements including a 
cranial caudal neural spine, a pair of sternal plates, and a pair of humeri. 
The new taxon is diagnosed on the basis of a combination of following 
featureL simply-built cranial caudal neural spine elongated and 
paddle-shaped and the length ratio between sternal plate and humerus low 
(about 0.65). The new form, as well as other recently recovered 
titanosaurian taxa from Asia, indicates a highly modified postcranial 
morphology and large diversity within this sauropod clade in the Cretaceous 
of Asia.

Xu, X. and J. M. Clark. 2008. The presence of a gigantic theropod in the 
Jurassic Shishugou Formation, Junggar Basin, Western China. Vertebrata 
PalAsiatica 46(2):157-160. [with 1 figure]

(Without an English abstract or summary, but the title about sums it up)