Dear SVP Members,

The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) and the American Geological Institute (AGI) are partnering to host the first annual National Fossil Day™ on October 13, 2010 during Earth Science Week. The mission of National Fossil Day™ is to celebrate and promote public awareness and stewardship of fossils, as well as to foster a greater appreciation of their scientific and educational value.

We realize that many of our SVP members will be in Pittsburgh on October 13 celebrating the study of vertebrate fossils at the annual SVP meeting. We ask that you please inform your institutions, colleagues, and communities about National Fossil Day™ so that they have the opportunity to plan and/or participate in events that celebrate the significance of fossils during Earth Science Week.

Follow the links below to find out more about National Fossil Day™ and the programs being held in celebration of fossils and their preservation on U.S. public lands. If you live in the USA, please consider asking your institution to officially endorse National Fossil Day™. You may also contribute information to the NFD Web site about celebrations taking place at your institution or in your community.

Find out more about National Fossil Day™.

Find a list of National Fossil Day™ Activities or to contribute an event to the Web site.

Thanks,
Robin Whatley and Stuart Sumida
Co-chairs SVP Education & Outreach Committee
________________________________________________________________________________

See Whats Happening at the SVP Annual Meeting on National Fossil Day

Open Forum Discussion of the U.S. Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (PRPA) of 2009
Wednesday, October 13, over the lunch hour
Location: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, East Lobby

The SVP has long been an advocate and was instrumental in the enactment of Paleontological Resources Preservation (PRP) legislation, the new authority for permitted and non-permitted collection of paleontological resources on applicable U.S. Federal lands. It became law (PL 111-11) under the Omnibus Public Land Management Act (OPLMA) in March 2009.

U.S. Federal agency representatives invite questions and concerns about the OPLMA-PRP. A panel of Federal employees will provide background information and facilitate discussion during an open microphone session.

NOTE: Boxed lunches will be available for purchase in advance when registering for the meeting. Boxed lunches cannot be purchased on site.

Organizers:
Lucia Kuizon                                                                                    
National Paleontologist                                                                   
Bureau of Land Management                                                             
lkuizon@blm.gov                                                                         

Bruce A. Schumacher
Regional Paleontologist
USDA Forest Service
baschumacher@fs.fed.us

Barbara A. Beasley                                                                          
Regional Paleontologist                                                                    
USDA Forest Service                                                                       
babeasleyr@fs.fed.us              

Vincent L. Santucci            
National Park Service
vincent_santucci@nps.gov

Dear SVP Members,

Your input is very much needed for an important study being conducted by the National Research Council’s Committee on New Research Opportunities in the Earth Sciences (U.S.). The committee is charged to (1) identify high-priority new and emerging research opportunities in the Earth sciences over the next decade, including surface, surface crust and deep Earth processes and interdisciplinary research with fields such as ocean and atmospheric sciences, biology, paleontology, engineering, computer science, and social and behavioral sciences and (2) identify key instrumentation and facilities needed to support these new and emerging research opportunities. Three members of this study committee (Isabel Montanez, Tim Lyons and Paul Olsen) would like your perspective regarding future research in the Earth sciences. Please take a few minutes to respond to the 3 questions at the following link:  http://thenationalacad.nroes.sgizmo.com/

The report will have the biggest impact if our community is well represented. This is an opportunity to share with a broader community and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) what you feel are high priority areas of focus and opportunities for the future.

Thank you for taking the time to participate in this very important opportunity.

Best wishes,
Blaire Van Valkenburgh
President, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology

I am very pleased to pass along to SVP members the news that, following a period in which the Department of Geological Sciences at Michigan State University was threatened with closure, a plan has been developed and approved that focuses on securing the future of geosciences at MSU. The plan has the backing of our Dean and the MSU Provost and President. It involves a series of steps over the next five years to increase research funding and enhance the visibility of our program, and it includes the possibility of future targeted faculty hires for the department.

I would like to heartily thank the many SVP members who sent in letters on our behalf, and also those individuals who signed the online petition last year. The strong show of support from the broader community was a vitally important element in reversing the proposed closing of the department, and my colleagues and I at MSU are very grateful.

I hope to see many of you in Pittsburgh and have a chance to say thanks in person!
 
-- Mike
 
Michael Gottfried
MSU Geological Sciences & Museum 

DEERFIELD, IL  (July 14, 2010) – The discovery of a remarkable 15-million-year-old Australian fossil limestone cave packed with even older animal bones has revealed almost the entire life cycle of a large prehistoric marsupial, from suckling young in the pouch still cutting their milk teeth to elderly adults. 

In an unprecedented find, a team of University of New South Wales (UNSW) researchers has unearthed from the cave floor hundreds of beautifully preserved fossils of the extinct browsing wombat-like marsupial Nimbadon lavarackorum, along with the remains of galloping kangaroos, primitive bandicoots, a fox-sized thylacine and forest bats.

Details of the find at a site known as AL90 in the famous Riversleigh World Heritage fossil field in Queensland are published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology by a team led by Dr Karen Black of the UNSW School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences. The research was supported by the Xstrata Community Partnership Program North Queensland and the Australian Research Council.

By comparing the skulls of 26 different Nimbadon individuals that died in the cave at varying stages of life the team has been able to show that its babies developed in much the same way as marsupials today, probably being born after only a month's gestation and crawling to the mother's pouch to complete their early development.

"This is a fantastic and incredibly rare site," says Dr. Black. "The exceptional preservation of the fossils has allowed us to piece together the growth and development of Nimbadon from baby to adult. So far 26 skulls – ranging in age from suckling pouch young and juveniles right through to elderly adults – have been recovered, as well as associated skeletons."

"The animals appear to have plunged to their deaths through a vertical cave entrance that may have been obscured by vegetation and acted as a natural pit-fall trap. These animals – including mothers with pouch young – either unwittingly fell to their deaths or survived the fall only to be entombed and unable to escape."

"The ceiling and walls of the cave were eroded away millions of years ago, but the floor of the cave remains at ground level. We have literally only scratched its surface, with thousands more bones evident at deeper levels in the deposit."

The site is also scientifically important because it documents a critical time in the evolution of Australia's flora and fauna when lush greenhouse conditions were giving way to a long, slow drying out that fundamentally reshaped the continent's cargo of life as rainforests retreated.

Dr. Black notes that the Nimbadon skulls also reveal that early in life, the emphasis of its growth was on the development of bones at the front of the face, to help the baby to suckle from its mother. As it grew older and its diet changed to eating leaves, the rest of the skull developed and grew quite massive by way of a series of bony chambers surrounding the brain.

Team member Professor Mike Archer says, "Yet we found that its brain was quite small and stopped growing relatively early in its life. We think it needed a large surface area of skull to provide attachments for all the muscle power it required to chew large quantities of leaves, so its skull features empty areas, or sinus cavities.  Roughly translated, this may be the first demonstration of how a growing mammal ‘pays’ for the need to eat more greens – by becoming an 'airhead'."

'The abundance of Nimbadon fossils also suggests that they travelled in family groups or perhaps even larger gatherings; it's possible that this also reflects the beginning of mob behaviour in herbivorous marsupials, such as we see today in grey kangaroos."

###

ABOUT THE SOCIETY OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
Founded in 1940 by thirty-four paleontologists, the Society now has more than 2,400 members representing professionals, students, artists, preparators and others interested in VP. It is organized exclusively for educational and scientific purposes, with the object of advancing the science of vertebrate paleontology.

The Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
The Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (JVP) is the leading journal of professional vertebrate paleontology and the flagship publication of the Society. It was founded in 1980 by Dr. Jiri Zidek and publishes contributions on all aspects of vertebrate paleontology.

Information for this release provided by the University of New South Wales.

Click here for complimentary access to the full article.

The article appears in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30(4) published by Taylor and Francis.

Journal Web site: Society of Vertebrate Paleontology: http://www.vertpaleo.org

CONTACT INFORMATION
Karen Black
UNSW
mobile + 61 (0) 428 591 429
k.black@unsw.edu.au

Mike Archer
UNSW
mobile + 61 (0) 423 553 333 
m.archer@unsw.edu.au

Media  liaison – Bob Beale
UNSW
 + 61 (0)411 705 435 
bbeale@unsw.edu.au (from whom high-res images are available)

See also: http://vertebratepaleo.com/AL90/

RE:  timely topical session concerning geological and paleobiological collections at the upcoming GSA annual meeting in Denver, Colorado. Abstracts are due August 10th.
 
T113. Geological and Paleobiological Collections: Best Practices for Preservation, Access, and Use in a Changing World
Sponsors: Paleontological Society; Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections; Mineralogical Society of America; GSA Geoinformatics Division
Organizers: Ann Molineux (Texas Natural Science Center; annm@austin.utexas.edu), Tim White (Yale Peabody Museum; tim.white@yale.edu), Christopher Michael Holl (Princeton University; choll@princeton.edu)
 
This session provides an opportunity for geoscientists to examine ways to access geological and paleobiological specimens and effective methods to retrieve their related data, underscoring the inherent value of such resources for innovative research and education. As geoscience departments of many colleges and universities are reevaluating their priorities, the value and utility of the fundamental building blocks of past studies are coming under question. In addition, many museums have large backlogs of uncataloged and unprocessed materials that also present challenges for potential research and teaching purposes. In order to access these collections we need to investigate methods for assessing risk, value and priority for curation, improved collections care and the management of specimens and related information. The availability of new methodologies, database applications and internet resources has greatly increased the ability to efficiently manage geological and paleobiological collections for research, education and outreach. Other scientific disciplines, such as biological informatics that has lead to many innovations for collections access and use will be explored. There is a wealth of research and educational opportunities available for existing geological and paleobiological collections. The use of emerging technologies, widespread access to the Internet and construction of online “virtual collections" and data portals, using such data retrieval protocols as DiGIR, are making collections related information accessible to geoscientists and other scientists looking to test hypothesis regarding earth processes and the history of life. We welcome submissions that describe innovative research made possible through use of these collections and associated information.”
 
To submit an abstract follow the links for session T113 on: http://www.geosociety.org/meetings/2010/sessions/topical.asp. For more information please contact Ann, Tim or Chris.

DEERFIELD, IL (June 24, 2010) – Dr. Phillip Currie, Vice President of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, professor at the University of Alberta, and a world-renowned expert on dinosaurs, has been honored with investiture in the Alberta Order of Excellence (AOE).  The AOE is the highest honor the province can bestow on a citizen.  Dr. Currie is one of only eight new members for 2010 and will be inducted into the Order in a ceremony in Edmonton on October 20.

Currie was selected based on his outstanding contributions to the province of Alberta, and for his extraordinary leadership in the field of vertebrate paleontology. Currie’s scientific accomplishments have resulted in a greater understanding of dinosaurs and their historic significance. He was instrumental in the development of Alberta's Royal Tyrrell Museum and has made major contributions to paleontology on both the Canadian and the world stage through his extensive fieldwork, academic research, writing and teaching. Blaire Van Valkenburgh, SVP’s President, stated that “Phil is a terrific scientist who brings dinosaurs to life through his in-depth analyses of their growth, behavior and evolution.”

About the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
Founded in 1940 by thirty-four paleontologists, the Society now has more than 2,500 members representing professionals, students, artists, preparators and others interested in vertebrate paleontology. It is organized exclusively for educational and scientific purposes, with the object of advancing the science of vertebrate paleontology.

###

CONTACT: 
Meagan Comerford
mcomerford@vertpaleo.org; +1-847-480-9095 x246 

A complete list of the accepted abstract id numbers is now available for viewing. This list includes oral and poster presentations in all categories: symposia, regular, Romer, Preparators' and Colbert.

E-mailed notices were sent out on Sunday, June 20, 2010 to all primary authors of a completed abstract submitted for the SVP 70th Anniversary Meeting to be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Should you have any questions, contact the SVP Business Office at: admin@vertpaleo.org, or phone at: +1-847-480-9095, extension 240.

DEERFIELD, IL  (May, 2010) – More than 100 years ago paleontologist E. D. Cope of "Dinosaur Wars" fame found a few fragmentary bones of a reptile in the deserts of New Mexico. He named the reptile Typothorax. A century later Typothorax, which belongs to a group of reptiles called aetosaurs, remained something of a mystery, known mainly from pieces of armor, a few limb bones, and some sections of tail. Now, thanks to two remarkably complete skeletons discovered by volunteers and described in the latest issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, paleontologists are finally revealing what Typothorax really looked like, how large it was, how it walked, and myriad other questions. Typothorax is also one of the last large herbivores to evolve in the Late Triassic, before dinosaurs would come to dominate the planet.

Reminiscent of giant armadillos, aetosaurs were widespread during Late Triassic times (230 – 200 million years ago). The largest species of aetosaur grew up to 5 meters long, although the two new specimens, representing a species called Typothorax coccinarum, were smaller growing up to 2.5 meters long. All were covered by a protective armor of overlapping bony plates, but some species sported massive spikes protecting the neck region — an additional deterrent to any hungry predator. Fragments of the characteristic bony armor are well known to paleontologists, but complete specimens of any aetosaur are very rare and none were known for Typothorax prior to the discovery of these specimens. The ornamentation on the plates varies from species to species and paleontologists have long recognized them as a diverse and important group of plant eaters living alongside some of the earliest dinosaurs. However, because of the rarity of more complete material they remain something of an enigma. Now we can say a lot more about these strange creatures which Dr. Andy Heckert, the lead author of the study and a geology professor at Appalachian State University, regards as an "animal designed by a committee combining a crocodile with a cow and armadillo."

The two new discoveries from New Mexico are providing scientists with a clearer picture of their way of life. "We now know that some previously established ideas about these animals were mistaken,” said Heckert. “For the first time we can get a realistic estimate of the size of these animals, and at only 2.5m [~7 feet) and about 100kg (225 lb) they are not as large as previously thought. We also know that some of the bony spikes that were thought to run down the sides of the armor actually surrounded the cloaca." The new specimens show that the body was completely enclosed in bony armor even to the extent of having a series of tiny overlapping plates extending down each leg, and onto the hands and feet. The front limbs apparently sprawled, but the hind limbs were much larger and upright. "I doubt professor Cope would have ever imagined this animal quite this way," said Heckert, "one really interesting feature is that the front half of the skeleton is so slender we probably would have thought it belonged to a juvenile if it weren't articulated to the rest."

The new specimens are also providing exciting new information about the way these animals moved. Fossil skeletons with complete hands and feet are so rarely preserved that it is very difficult to confidently match a skeleton to the maker of any particular trackway. However, the exquisitely preserved feet in the new specimens demonstrate for the first time that trackways known as Brachychirotherium were almost certainly made by aetosaurs. "Brachychirotherium tracks are known from various localities around the world, and they are an almost perfect match to the arrangement of bones in the aetosaur foot," said Dr. Spencer Lucas, curator at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History, where the specimens are now on display, and another member of the team. "We now know that the front legs of aetosaurs sprawled to the sides, but their back legs were more robust and pillar-like." With their short and stubby necks, blunt-nosed skulls, and small leaf-shaped teeth, these distant relatives of crocodiles may also have grubbed around in the soil looking for succulent roots.

Both specimens were found by volunteers at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. The first, by Paul Sealey in the late 1980s, and the second by retired U.S. Air Force major Scott Sucher on the so-called Badlands Ranch in 2005. Several students from Appalachian State University got their first taste of paleontological excavation helping excavate the second specimen in 2006, and another volunteer, Bill Ortman, spent years cleaning and gluing the second specimen back together to make this research possible  "The important contribution of amateurs to our science cannot be underestimated," said Lucas. "As the Badlands erode we look forward to many more exciting new finds that will contribute to our understanding of the world at this important time in its history."

###

ABOUT THE SOCIETY OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
Founded in 1940 by thirty-four paleontologists, the Society now has more than 2,400 members representing professionals, students, artists, preparators, and others interested in VP. It is organized exclusively for educational and scientific purposes, with the object of advancing the science of vertebrate paleontology.

The Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
The Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (JVP) is the leading journal of professional vertebrate paleontology and the flagship publication of the Society. It was founded in 1980 by Dr. Jiri Zidek and publishes contributions on all aspects of vertebrate paleontology.

Click here for complimentary access to the full article.

The article appears in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30(3) published by Taylor and Francis.

Citation: Heckert, A. B., S. G. Lucas, L. F. Rinehart, M D. Celeskey, J. A. Spielmann, and A. P Hunt. 2010.  Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, volume 30, No. 3. [Featured Article]

Journal Web site: Society of Vertebrate Paleontology: http://www.vertpaleo.org

CONTACT INFORMATION

Jane Nicholson
nicholsonrj@appstate.edu
Tel: (828) 262 2345

Roxanne Witt Celeskey
roxanne.witt@state.nm.us
Tel (505) 841 2826

AUTHOR CONTACT INFORMATION

Dr. Andrew Heckert
Department of Geology
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608
heckertab@appstate.edu
Tel: (828) 262 7609

Dr. Spencer Lucas
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
spencer.lucas@state.nm.us
Tel: (505) 841 2873

Larry Rinehart
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
larry.rinehart@state.nm.us
Tel: (505) 841 2865
 
Matthew Celeskey
deadanimaldesign@hmnh.org
Tel: (505) 841 2870
 
Justin Spielmann
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
justin.spielmann1@state.nm.us

Dr. Adrian Hunt
AdrianHu@vulcan.com

OTHER EXPERTS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE STUDY 

Prof. Michael Benton
Dept. of Earth Sciences
University of Bristol
mike.benton@bris.ac.uk
Tel:  +44 (0) 117 954 5433 

Dr. Nicholas  Fraser
National Museums Scotland
nick.fraser@nms.ac.uk
Tel:  +44 (0) 131 247 4007

IMAGES

Image1: Reconstruction of the aetosaur, Typothorax coccinarum, in a
Triassic landscape based on skeletons from the Bull Canyon Formation of eastern New Mexico. (Artwork by Matt Celeskey.) 

Image 2: The team collecting the second specimen of Typothorax coccinarum in 2006. Scott Sucher, who first discovered the fossil, is pictured far right. (Photo courtesy of New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science)

Dear members and colleagues,

I am pleased to announce the opening of registration for the 70th Anniversary Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP), to be held in Pittsburgh, PA, USA, October 10-13, 2010! Our host is Carnegie Museum of Natural History, with the Host Committee headed by Co-Chairs Zhe-Xi Luo and Chris Beard.

In a continuing effort to bring increased value to our members and attendees while also cutting costs and reducing our carbon footprint, SVP will be providing a free online Itinerary Builder to all registered meeting attendees this year. The Itinerary Builder will enable registered attendees to create a customized pdf schedule of meeting events they wish to attend. The Itinerary Builder is being offered in addition to the electronic SVP Program and Abstract book and electronic Meeting Circular.

Yet another improvement this year is the ability to order a paper copy of the electronic SVP Program and Abstract book for direct shipment to the address of your choice. The Abstract book will be available for an additional cost through www.lulu.com starting late this summer. Of course, all meeting registration packets will continue to include a schedule-at-a-glance and a full listing of presentations.

To save money, remember to register for the meeting before July 8 to get the early registration rate (but you can still register for the meeting after that date). Check the Important Dates below so that you don't miss out!

See you in October!
 
Blaire Van Valkenburgh
SVP President

Click here to view and download the SVP 70th Anniversary Meeting Circular.
IMPORTANT!  Save the Circular to your computer.  This will make future viewings quick and easy.

Having trouble viewing the Meeting Circular?  Click here to download the latest version of Adobe Reader for free.

IMPORTANT DATES:
July 7:  Early Meeting registration rates end
July 7:  Field trip and workshop registration CLOSES (NOON, Central Time, USA).
NOTE:  There will be no registration for field trips or workshops after September 8.
Registration for field trips and workshops is on a first-come, first-served basis.
September 8:  Regular Meeting registration rates ends.
After September 8:  All meeting registration will be done on site in Pittsburgh.  Onsite registration rates apply.

DEERFIELD, IL (March 24, 2010) – The study of Mesozoic birds and the dinosaur-bird transition is one of the most exciting and vigorous fields in vertebrate paleontology today. A newly described bird from the Jehol Biota of northeast China suggests that scientists have only tapped a small proportion of the birds and dinosaurs that were living at that time, and that the rocks still have many secrets to reveal.

"The study of Mesozoic birds is currently one of the most exciting fields; new discoveries continue to drastically change how we view them," said Jingmai O'Connor, lead author of the study. The article appeared in the March issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

The new bird, named "Longicrusavis houi," belongs to a group of birds known as ornithuromorphs (Ornithuromorpha), which are rare in rocks of this age. Ornithuromorphs are more closely related to modern birds than are most of the other birds from the Jehol Biota.

"Longicrusavis adds to the magnificent diversity of ancient birds, many of them sporting teeth, wing claws, and long bony tails, that recently have been unearthed from northeastern China," said Luis Chiappe, a co-author of the study.

Along with a bird described five years ago, Longicrusavis provides evidence for a new, specialized group of small birds that diversified during the Early Cretaceous between about 130 and 120 million years ago.

"The new discovery adds information not only on the diversity these birds, but also on the possible lakeshore environment in which this bird lived," said co-author Gao Ke-Qin.

The legs of this new species are unusually long, suggesting that it spent much of its time wading in the shallows of ancient lakes. The name "Longicrusavis" means "long-shin bird," highlighting this important aspect of the new specimen. The presence of ancient birds in this habitat suggests that modern birds might have originated from an ancestor that was adapted for life near rivers and lakes.

Previously undescribed feather impressions from a closely related species suggest that both it and Longicrusavis had a long, fan-shaped tail. These are the oldest species to have such a tail, which likely increased flying performance.

The rocks of the Yixian Formation of northeast China have produced a spectacular array of fossils in recent years including fishes, birds, mammals, invertebrates, and dinosaurs. These fossils are collectively are known as the Jehol Biota and they are remarkable because, in many instances, they preserve soft tissues such as feathers or hair in addition to teeth and bones.

"The Jehol Biota never fails to stop giving, and the research to be done on these fossils is virtually endless!" said O’Connor.

###

ABOUT THE SOCIETY OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
Founded in 1940 by thirty-four paleontologists, the Society now has more than 2,300 members representing professionals, students, artists, preparators, and others interested in VP. It is organized exclusively for educational and scientific purposes, with the object of advancing the science of vertebrate paleontology.

Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
The Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (JVP) is the leading journal of professional vertebrate paleontology and the flagship publication of the Society. It was founded in 1980 by Dr. Jiri Zidek and publishes contributions on all aspects of vertebrate paleontology. The JVP is published by Taylor & Francis.  

Click here for complimentary access to the full article.
The article appears in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30(2), published by Taylor & Francis.

CITATION
O'Connor, J. K., K-Q Gao, and L. M. Chiappe. 2010. A new ornithuromorph (Aves: Ornithothoraces) bird from the Jehol Group indicative of higher-level diversity. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30(2).

AUTHOR CONTACT INFORMATION

Jingmai K. O'Connor
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California
3651 Trousdale Parkway ZHS 117, Los Angeles, CA 90089 U.S.A. 
jingmai@usc.edu

Gao Ke-Qin
Peking University, School of Earth and Space Sciences
100871 Beijing, People’s Republic of China
kqgao@pku.edu.cn

Luis M. Chiappe
The Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90007 U.S.A.
chiappe@nhm.org

OTHER EXPERTS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH STUDY

Dr. Matt Lamanna
Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh
lamannam@carnegiemnh.org, (412) 578-2696

Dr. David Varricchio
University of Montana
djv@montana.edu, (406) 994-6907

FIGURES

Figure 1. Photograph of part of the holotype specimen of Longicrusavis houi (slab B, PKUP V1069). Although the skeleton is mostly complete (the wings and legs are clearly visible), the head has been detached from the neck and is located between the legs. The beak is pointing toward the left. Photograph by S. Abramowicz.

Figure 2. Photograph of a mold (counterpart) of Longicrusavis houi (slab B, PKUP V1069). The specimen is oriented the same as in the preceding figure but is reversed since the mold creates a mirror image. Scale bar equals one centimeter. Photograph by S. Abramowicz.

Figure 3. Life reconstruction of Longicrusavis houi in what was probably its favored habitat, shallow lake waters. A reconstruction of the fossil specimen itself is reflected in the water. Illustration by Stephanie Abramowicz, Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.