Monday, February 25, 2008

Dino Diagnosis of the Day #2

You know? I have this great post in my head about pterosaur crest diversity. I've even got some of the sketches done. What sad is that I was slammed on my back this past weekend by the flu (or something like it) and this is the first significant time I've been out of bed. Very irritating symptoms: Snotting to no end (my...poor...nostrils), coughing so much my throat is raw, lack of energy, no appetite, mild joint pain, and ridiculous dehydration. And it seems to get worse as the day progresses. At any rate, I'm just too drained to write a real post, so I'm copping out and giving you kind people my second Dino Diagnosis of the Day!

This is a revised diagnosis:

Large theropod with elongate neural spines that are more than 2.5 times corresponding presacral, sacral and proximal caudal lengths of the centra. Lacrimal contracts postorbital; supraoccipital expands on either side of the midline to protrude as a double boss behind the nuchal crest; pleurocoelous fossae and foramina pronounced on all presacral and sacral vertebrae; cervical neural spines have triangular anterior processes that insert into depressions beneath overhanging processes on preceding neural spines; accessory transverse processes on mid-caudal vertebrae.

Go forth to your archives, dear readers, and come back with answers in tow!

6 comments:

Christopher Taylor said...

Acrocanthosaurus atokensis. Ain't Google wonderful? (Though I'm happy to say that Acrocanthosaurus was going to be my wild stab in the dark anywho.)

Zach said...

Ack! I'm gonna have to give you a real tough one next time, Chris! You are right again, sir!

Christopher Taylor said...

Well, I believe you've mentioned an affection for Acrocanthosaurus before, which was why I thought of it when the subject of elongated vertebrae came up.

(You know, when I was a lad, Acrocanthosaurus was a spinosaur. How things change.)

Unknown said...

I'll go out on a limb and guess that it's not Acrocanthosaurus atokensis giving you a sore throat. Maybe one of those boneless aquatic micro-pterosaurs, instead.

Blue Collar Scientist said...

Ah - I had that flu (or whatever) two weeks ago. I dealt with it by copious application of Nyquil, and the resulting catatonia made things bearable until I was well. Get well quick!

Emile said...

I was going to hasard a guess of Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, but, alas, I arrived too late.
Get well soon!