RE: Sinotyrannus and what it looked like

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

> From: owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu [mailto:owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu] 
> On Behalf Of Ezra Toranosuke
>
> I would like to know what do you think about Sinotyrannus' 
> life appearance. I mean, I know the remains are fragmentary 
> but, can we at least know if it would look more like, say, a 
> giant Dilong, or perhaps more like an albertosaur? Would it 
> have long three fingered hands, or short two fingered ones? 
>  
> I'd appreciate your opinions...                               
>         
I'm not even convinced it is tyrannosauroid (although it may well be): it
is, despite the paper's claim to the contrary, almost certain not in
Tyrannosauridae. Indeed, I would venture to guess it is more distantly
related to Tyrannosauridae than are Raptorex or Xiongguanlong.

And the honest answer is "we don't know" for the questions you asked.
Scientifically we can't say at the moment. And it is better to admit that
than to pretend otherwise.

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/
Faculty Director, Science & Global Change Program, College Park Scholars
http://www.geol.umd.edu/sgc
Fax: 301-314-9843

Mailing Address:        Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                        Department of Geology
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                        University of Maryland
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