In the Literature

Teeth from Azuma and Currie 2000

I have great news for the literature search hounds out there. Both the Azuma and Currie 2000 and Azuma and Currie 2006 papers can be read online. The 2000 paper, entitled A new carnosaur (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Lower Cretaceous of Japan, describes Fukuiraptor from a number of fragmented specimens as well as related specimens and even goes so far as to discuss an astragalus from Australia; it is quite a comprehensive undertaking. The conclusions really tie the paper together, but I do not want to spoil anyone's reading. At the very least, for people that are not huge fans of scientific writing, read the discussion and conclusions of this paper, they are quite worth seeing why Azuma and Currie finalized their findings of a carnosaurian lineage rather than a dromaeosaurian lineage. The 2006 paper, entitled New specimens, including a growth series, of Fukuiraptor (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Lower Cretaceous Kitadani Quarry of Japan, details, obviously, a new specimen of Fukuiraptor, but also compares a healthy number of specimens to one another in order to envision and detail a growth series for Fukuiraptor. Having a growth series attributed to any dinosaur is fairly big news, and to a somewhat new dinosaur from an area like Japan that has not been highlighted as a place of wealth for dinosaur fossils is particularly fantastic and important. This paper is loaded with quality photographs of many of the specimens and includes photos of evidence of the growth series. It is a very worthwhile read and, as there are only two papers highlighted this week, I encourage everyone to take a moment and go over the details of these papers. Much more can be learned here than we have had in some dinosaurs past, and it is certainly a good idea to indulge in a little reading whenever possible!