Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Theropod paper discussion 1: Complete skulls!!!!!!!!!!

I am really amazed. While searching for some papers on Allosaurus classification(see previous post), I suddenly unearthed a paper about new Poekilopleuron specimen from France(for PDF version click here). Of course first that I will say is full of criticism. The author wrote that Poekil is a megalosaur! But what is even more astonishing,  thatthe skull was preserved even better than this of Giganotosaurus! To me the skull is elongated enough to be Allosaurus close relative, not megalosaur.
But let's continue criticising. There Sinraptor was portrayed to be in front of Acrocanthosaurus and allosaurus who are shown to be "Allosauridae" and be the most primitive carnosaurs.

                                          

Allosaurus

I can't understand the classification of Allosaurus. Many papers on phylogeny of carnosaurs (like this) state that it is a carnosaur right between Sinraptoridae and Carcharodontosauridae. But most make a family - allosauridae. It consists of three species - allosaurus, epanterias and saurophaganax. But some they all are synonyms, so for them the first conception is right.