Simosuchus - JVP Memoir 10

Those of us who have payed any attention to the evolutionary history of crocodilians cringe when we hear them referred to as "living fossils". With the release of the new Memoir from the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, this phrase is being thrown a round a lot. I generally detest the use of phrases like "living fossil" or "missing link" for many reasons. One article from the BBC was particularly hard to read, with statements like the following, making it sound like it is breaking news that crocs have a diverse evolutionary history.

"Yet contrary to popular belief, scientists now suggest that the basic body structure of crocodiles, alligators and ghariels evolved from a diverse group of prehistoric reptiles with different body shapes." - Ella Davies, BBC News 


Even the press release from the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology had me worried for a moment. But I shouldn't allow misnomers to distract from the real news. The new Memoir, focusing on the pug-nosed Simosuchus, promises a great overview of crocodylimform anatomy.

'As strange as Simosuchus was, the incredible completeness and preservation of its fossils, coupled with an equally impressive scientific investigation, have yielded one of the most comprehensive volumes of crocodyliform anatomy ever to be published. “Very few crocodyliforms – even those alive today – have been subjected to this level of analysis,” said Brochu. “This reference is going to be used for decades.”' - SVP press release

I will post a more thorough description of Simosuchus and the new Memoir once I have received it in the mail.

Citation:
D. W. Krause and N. J. Kley (eds.), Simosuchus clarki (Crocodyliformes: Notosuchia) from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Memoir 10. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30(6, Supplement).

Baurusuchus

Restoration of Baurusuchus salgadoensis sp. nov. from Carvalho et al., 2005 (art by Deverson da Silva)

Meaning: "Bauru crocodile", from the Bauru Group

Species: B. pachecoi Price, 1945; B. salgadoensis Carvalho et al., 2005; and B. albertoi Nascimento and Zaher, 2010

Nominal Author: Price, 1945

Age: Late Cretaceous

Location: Brazil

Physical Characteristics: approx. 3.5 to 4 meters in length, cursorial predator

Hi!

Time seems to have gotten away from me once again, but not without reason. I left my job at the end of October, so I have been dealing with that transition. I left for a number of reasons, but most importantly is that I plan to return to school. I will be taking classes at the University of Maryland this spring as I prepare for and take the GRE, apply to graduate programs, and otherwise prepare for grad school. That has been the good distraction. Unfortunately, at the beginning of October, someone very close to me was diagnosed with a massive brain tumor, so the vast majority of my attention has been focused on him. He had surgery on November 2nd to remove the tumor. Thankfully, he is recovering wonderfully.

Despite all of these goings-on, this blog and my favorite clade have still been on my mind. I will update soon with a featured genus/species, but I also have a few other new ideas for posts including guest posts and museum profiles with a focus on their representation of crurotarsans.

In the mean time, I will leave you with this. I've been cleaning out my office and came across some old things from high school, including a bunch of articles I had clipped from newspapers and magazines on all things paleontological. The one that really caught my eye was from the Fall 2004 issue of National Parks magazine about fossils in national parks and the Paleontological Resource Preservation Act. The article focused heavily on Petrified Forest NP, with these two great pictures to illustrate that the park has more than just a bunch of petrified trees.

"True to their prehistoric focus, Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park boasts a full Postosuchus skeleton mold."

"Finds like this crocodile-like Phytosaur offer keys to understanding Petrified Forest National Park's natural and cultural resources, and unraveling the mysterious landscape that once existed here."

What's scarier than a rauisuchian?

So, how do you celebrate Halloween? This is my pumpkin from last year - an attempt at Postosuchus. I'd say I did a pretty good job, considering I was working with a pumpkin. Some of the teeth may be a little off, but I think I got all of the fenestrae right. I'm thinking I might have to do Poposaurus this year, but I'm open to suggestions.

SVP Annual Meeting 2010 - Evening Events and Final Stats

This year's meeting turned out to be the largest meeting on record at 1,190 attendees and at last count 761 abstracts submitted, the previous record holder being Austin, Texas in 2007. The 28th Annual Benefit Auction and Social went wonderfully, raising $18,500 dollars for the SVP Education and Research Fund. The theme was Star Trek, but we had bets going for the following themes: Lady Gaga, Avatar, Iron Man (and other such super heroes), Alice In Wonderland, and so on.

Although there was no banquet this year, they still held the awards ceremony to a full room. Here are the winners of the two big awards:

Alfred Sherwood Romer Prize
"The Alfred Sherwood Romer Prize recognizes an outstanding scientific contribution in vertebrate paleontology by a predoctoral student. Selection for participation in the Romer Prize Session at the SVP Annual Meeting is based on the scientific value and quality of an abstract summarizing an original research project, and the Romer Prize is awarded on the basis of the scientific value and quality of the oral presentation of that research during the Romer Prize session a the SVP Annual Meeting."
Winner: Jennifer Olori for her presentation on "DEVELOPMENTAL FEATURES OF MICROSAURS (LEPOSPONDYLI), AND CONSEQUENCES FOR THE EVOLUTION OF DEVELOPMENT AND PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN TETRAPODA"

Romer-Simpson Medal
"The A.S. Romer - G.G. Simpson medal, the society's highest award, is awarded for sustained and outstanding scholarly excellence in the discipline of vertebrate paleontology."
Recipient: Dr. Rinchen Barsbold

Congratulations to all of the award winners!