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Post by theropod on Jun 2, 2013 17:16:19 GMT 5
Weymouth bay pliosaur finally described!Good news my friends: The paper is out, as expected it is another species of Pliosaurus; this genus seems to contain many if not all the largest Pliosaurs (tough probably not MoA). It seems they are slowly but steadily describing all the huge recent discoveries.
Pliosaurus kevani species novus www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0065989The paper is pretty detailed and also seems to contain a revision of the genus, as well as extensive documentation of the specimen.  As many here had already expected, it has a very robust, massive skull and some of the largest temporal fenestrae I have ever seen and was certainly an extremely powerful biter. On a side note as Mike Taylor would certainly remark, this is a triumph for open access. Lastly all important papers seem to get published in journals like PLOS, APP or Palaeo Electronica (the recent Allosaurus study, description of pathologies in Mapusaurus, diverse weight studies...)!
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Post by theropod on Jun 2, 2013 17:46:26 GMT 5
It contains a revision of several huge Pliosaurs. It appears Kronosaurus and Pliosaurus funkei/kevani are all relatively similar in size. What remains to be fully described and asessed are the Cumnor mandible and the Monster of Aramberri.
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Post by creature386 on Jun 2, 2013 18:53:40 GMT 5
I'm going to write a profile about that animal.
Very good finding!
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Post by theropod on Jun 2, 2013 19:27:55 GMT 5
Thanks! Ironically I found the announcement on Carnivora!
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Post by creature386 on Jun 2, 2013 20:52:00 GMT 5
I haven't started yet, because my computer for some reason didn't like when I write long a long text.
I also wanted to reply to you in the Megalodon vs Livyatan therad, but the reply was a bit long, so my computer started to become annoying.
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Post by Grey on Jun 2, 2013 23:34:17 GMT 5
Wonderful find Theropod.
I note that Kronosaurus queenslandicus skull length possibly reached 2,85 m.
If true, that's approaching the Livyatan league.
The paper somewhat contradicts McHenry's thesis in that it says Early Cretaceous Jurassic pliosaurs were larger than Late Cretaceous Jurassic pliosaurs, but they do not greatly focus on the Cumnor giant though.
They also recall the possibility that some very large individuals could still perhaps represent juveniles, despite that Buchy and McHenry do not consider this as such.
That's one more giant having his own paper.
I should have guessed that they would give its name in honor of the discoverer.
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Post by theropod on Jun 2, 2013 23:58:51 GMT 5
Thanks!
It is good to have a nice overview paper on those giants. I also very much appreciated the info on the paedomorphics, noting them in some specimens, even tough there wasn't something like a definitive conclusion.
Fun thing is, we might have a similar case with the "Epanterias"-specimen of Allosaurus, whose scapulocoracoid is unfused.
Hopefully there will be a full description of the Mexican monster and the Cumnor mandible.
Lets make a guess on the name for MoA!
Some years ago I tought Necenssaurus maximus would be fitting (not so clear any more of course but still an awesome meaning)
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Fragillimus335
Member
Sauropod fanatic, and dinosaur specialist
Posts: 573
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Post by Fragillimus335 on Jun 3, 2013 1:57:44 GMT 5
I am eager for the description of the Cumnor monster mandible as well, if it is really 3+ meters I think the beast will live up to its name. Although it seems a bit more gracile than Pliosaurus kevani.
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Post by Grey on Jun 3, 2013 2:15:20 GMT 5
There is a comment from Richard Forrest somewhere where he explains why the length of the Cumnor mandible is probably not exact.
What if it turned out that Kronosaurus would be once again the largest pliosaur like believed years ago ?
This suggestion of a 2,85 m long skull is interesting and very impressive.
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Post by Grey on Jun 3, 2013 7:16:13 GMT 5
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Post by theropod on Jun 3, 2013 19:59:04 GMT 5
Doesn't Kronosaurus have a proportionally larger skull than seen in the others?
Some time ago it was always "3m skull/12m long", and the total lenght was even exagerated. It seems Kronosaurus may just be very big-skulled.
That gives me the idea MoA may still be the largest, since the 16m figure bases on a limb-bone, which are apparently smaller in Kronosaurus than in other pliosaurs (and I think the mexican form was suggested to be related to it, wasn't it?), and comparison with Liopleurodon.
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Post by creature386 on Jun 3, 2013 20:06:51 GMT 5
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Post by Grey on Jun 3, 2013 20:08:47 GMT 5
Regarding MoA, I'm still take McHenry's work : smaller than Cumnor.
Good point regarding Kronosaurus proportions but if the skull was really that long, that's substantially larger than the skull of K. boyacensis...
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Post by theropod on Jun 3, 2013 20:12:38 GMT 5
I don't remember any overlapping material between the two has been documented.
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Post by Grey on Jun 3, 2013 20:19:52 GMT 5
I don't have the McHenry thesis on the hand but if I remember right K. boyacensis skull is estimated at 2,36 m, comparable to P. kevani and the larger P. funkei individual.
If K. queenslandicus had a 2,85 m skull, using Knutsen regression, that may explain why the publication argues the Early Cretaceous pliosaurs were the largest.
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