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All, Time for another bit of shameless self promotion... I added a new web page (please do not cite): < http://www.oceansofkansas.com/Eplatyurus.html > *... that is based on *based a recently published article: *Everhart, M. J. 2005. Elasmosaurid remains from the Pierre Shale (Upper Cretaceous) of western Kansas. Possible missing elements of the type specimen of /Elasmosaurus platyurus/ Cope 1868? PalArch 4(3): 19-32. * *A FREE .pdf version of the original paper is available from PalArch: < http://www.palarch.nl/Palaeontology/palaeontology.htm> * *The web page is an updated version of the article with a lot more illustrations, links to other relevant papers and OOK pages. I will be the first to admit that the hypothesis a bit more than speculative, and that the original version of the paper was rejected by the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia for good reasons. Reviewers and others whom I have shared the information with are pretty much equally divided regarding my conclusion. The whole idea that two sets of remains found more than a mile apart are from the same animal that died 80 some million years ago is a major stretch of the imagination... however, explaining away two sets of similar remains collected at the same stratigraphic level whose elements are mutually exclusive also requires some doing, especially with the fairly detailed in-situ descriptions of the specimen provided by Dr. Turner and Prof. Cope. I cannot "prove" anything at this point, but it makes an interesting story IMHO. * *That being said, the paper / webpage is a fairly complete account of the history and "who's who" in regard to the discovery and study of the type (and only) specimen of /Elasmosaurus platyurus/, and the so-called "second specimen." It **is also, to some extent, a puzzling paleo-mystery. I included some new findings (and photographs) regarding the type specimen: (another(!) cervical vertebrae; additional, unreported elements of the skull and jaws, a gastrolith lodged in one of the caudal vertebra, etc.) Not exactly paleo-rocket science, but I thought it was an enjoyable "history of paleontology" project. * *Regards, * Mike Everhart Adjunct Curator of Paleontology Sternberg Museum of Natural History Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS www.oceansofkansas.com *Also new at OOK: An amateur's collection of Kansas shark teeth ... made 65 years ago: < http://www.oceansofkansas.com/Lederhos.html > * *Rapid evolution, diversification and distribution of mosasaurs (non-peer reviewed); < http://www.oceansofkansas.com/RapidMosa.html > * *** * * * ****
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