PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF REPRODUCTIVE TRAITS OF MANIRAPTORAN THEROPODS AND ITS
IMPLICATIONS FOR EGG PARATAXONOMY
DARLA K. ZELENITSKY* and FRANÇOIS THERRIEN

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120120979/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0



Listers may find my taxonomy (not via eggs) more useful in the long run than
those they are familiar with:

http://www.geocities.com/strangetruther/parlogram01.gif

Cheers,

JJ

Hi Everybosy,

I am looking for the rest of the parts of the following book.

Has anybody any idead if they have ever been published?

J. Mlikovsky: Cenozoic birds of the world, part 1: Europe.

Cordially,

Xavier

----- Original Message -----

From: cogombra

To: Palaeoology@...

Sent: Monday, 18 August, 2008 20:44

Subject: [Palaeoology] Cenozoic Birds of the World

Hi Everybosy,

I am looking for the rest of the parts of the following book.

Has anybody any idead if they have ever been published?

J. Mlikovsky: Cenozoic birds of the world, part 1: Europe.

Cordially,

Xavier

Hi Xavier,
yes, this is the only volume.

However, before to use, you should be see:
Mourer-Chauviré, C. 2004. Review of Jiri Mlikovsky (2002). Cenozoic
birds of the World, Part 1: Europe. Auk 121(2):623-627.

The volume of the book, the cited article and some others of both
authors, you can download at SAPE pagei

http://www2.nrm.se/ve/birds/sape/litt001_3.html.en

I have a mail:
jiri.mlikovsky@...


Cheers



Eduardo Corona-M.
Centro INAH Morelos &
Seminario Relaciones Hombre-Fauna
(http://www.geocities.com/shofaun)
Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia



-----Original Message-----
From: cogombra <cogombra@...>
To: Palaeoology@...
Sent: Mon, 18 Aug 2008 1:44 pm
Subject: [Palaeoology] Cenozoic Birds of the World






Hi Everybosy,

I am looking for the rest of the parts of the following book.

Has anybody any idead if they have ever been published?

J. Mlikovsky: Cenozoic birds of the world, part 1: Europe.

Cordially,

Xavier

Hi all -

Paper no.13 on the following page:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01956671

U.K. Shukla, Rahul Srivastava:
"Lizard eggs from Upper Cretaceous Lameta Formation of Jabalpur, central India,
with interpretation of depositional environments of the nest-bearing horizon"

JJ

Anybody interested in the papers below?


Recognition of vertebrate egg abnormalities in the
Upper Cretaceous fossil record
Frankie D. Jackson*, James G. Schmitt

Upper Cretaceous dinosaur nesting sites of Rı´o Negro (Salitral
Ojo de Agua and Salinas de Trapalco´-Salitral de Santa Rosa),
northern Patagonia, Argentina
Leonardo Salgado a,1,*, Rodolfo A. Coria b,1, Claudia M. Magalhaes
Ribeiro c,
Alberto Garrido b, Raymond Rogers d, Marı´a E. Simo´n e, Andrea B.
Arcucci f,
Kristina Curry Rogers g, Ariana Paulina Carabajal b,1, Sebastia´n
Apesteguı´a h,
Mariela Ferna´ndez a, Rodolfo A. Garcı´a a,1, Marianella Talevi i,1

----- Original Message -----

From: cogombra

To: Palaeoology@...

Sent: Tuesday, 14 October, 2008 14:42

Subject: [Palaeoology] New Papers

Anybody interested in the papers below?

Recognition of vertebrate egg abnormalities in the
Upper Cretaceous fossil record
Frankie D. Jackson*, James G. Schmitt

Upper Cretaceous dinosaur nesting sites of Rı´o Negro (Salitral
Ojo de Agua and Salinas de Trapalco´-Salitral de Santa Rosa),
northern Patagonia, Argentina
Leonardo Salgado a,1,*, Rodolfo A. Coria b,1, Claudia M. Magalhaes
Ribeiro c,
Alberto Garrido b, Raymond Rogers d, Marı´a E. Simo´n e, Andrea B.
Arcucci f,
Kristina Curry Rogers g, Ariana Paulina Carabajal b,1, Sebastia´n
Apesteguı´a h,
Mariela Ferna´ndez a, Rodolfo A. Garcı´a a,1, Marianella Talevi i,1

Can anyone confirm that soft-shelled eggs don’t develop air-chambers?  Hard to
see how they could.

Presumably crocs develop air-chambers.  Do all hard-shelled eggs?

Thanks for any views.


Cordially,

John V. Jackson

----- Original Message -----

From: strangetruther@...

To: Palaeoology@...

Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 5:35 PM

Subject: [Palaeoology] Air chambers

Can anyone confirm that soft-shelled eggs don’t develop air-chambers? Hard to see how they could.

Presumably crocs develop air-chambers. Do all hard-shelled eggs?

Thanks for any views.

Cordially,

John V. Jackson

Thanks Charles.  That's interesting.  So crocs don't need to poke their noses
into an airspace while still in the egg.  Does this mean they remove the fluid
from their lungs and start to breath when they hatch in the same way mammals do
at birth?

Cheers,

JJ


--- On Tue, 10/28/08, Charles Deeming <charlie@...> wrote:

> From: Charles Deeming <charlie@...>
> Subject: Re: [Palaeoology] Air chambers
> To: Palaeoology@...
> Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2008, 10:03 AM
> No soft-shelled eggs collapse if they lose weight.
>
> Under normal incubation conditions no reptile egg forms an
> air space - pliable-shelled turtle eggs swell (as do
> parchment-shelled lizard and snake eggs) and hard-shelled
> turtle and croc eggs don't lose water.
>
> Charles
>
>
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: strangetruther@...
>   To: Palaeoology@...
>   Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 5:35 PM
>   Subject: [Palaeoology] Air chambers
>
>
>   Can anyone confirm that soft-shelled eggs don’t develop
> air-chambers? Hard to see how they could.
>
>   Presumably crocs develop air-chambers. Do all
> hard-shelled eggs?
>
>   Thanks for any views.
>
>   Cordially,
>
>   John V. Jackson

Fascinating - thatnks too, Lala.  So perhaps that's why the croc hard shell
layer seems (as far as I can tell - may be wrong) to fall off more readily than
birds'.  So "dinosaurs" did... it the bird way I suppose.

In view of what we have just heard from Lala and Charles, there doesn't seem to
be a reason for crocs to hae a hard shell.  I wonder what hapens if the hard
outer layer is removed very early from croc eggs.  And if they suffer due to
trans-shell transport of some kind, what then happens if such advers transport
is artificially corrected?

Still not to sure how crocs drain their lungs for breathing after hatching.

Cordially,

John J.


--- On Wed, 10/29/08, Lala A.K. Singh <laksingh2005@...> wrote:

> From: Lala A.K. Singh <laksingh2005@...>
> Subject: Re: [Palaeoology] Air chambers
> To: Palaeoology@...
> Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2008, 1:12 PM
> Only if the croc egg desiccates, towards the end of
> incubation (before hatching time) we may notice the leathery
> membrane of the egg depress-in (like vacum). otherwise, 
> it will always swell up and even (when shells have flakedn
> and fallen off) become roundish. When desiccation occurs
> there are congenital defects like curved neck, twisted
> tail...etc. (more in LAKSingh and H.R.Bustard 1982: British
> Journal of Herpetol). 
> Thank you.
>
> Dr. Lala A. K. Singh, Prakruti Bhavan, Neelakantha Nagar
> Bhubaneswar, Orissa, PIN: 751012, INDIA
>
> --- On Tue, 28/10/08, Charles Deeming
> <charlie@...> wrote:
>
> From: Charles Deeming
> <charlie@...>
> Subject: Re: [Palaeoology] Air chambers
> To: Palaeoology@...
> Date: Tuesday, 28 October, 2008, 2:33 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> No soft-shelled eggs collapse if they lose weight.
>  
> Under normal incubation conditions no reptile egg forms an
> air space - pliable-shelled turtle eggs swell (as do
> parchment-shelled lizard and snake eggs) and hard-shelled
> turtle and croc eggs don't lose water.
>  
> Charles
>  
>  
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: strangetruther@ yahoo.com
> To: Palaeoology@ yahoogroups. co.uk
> Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 5:35 PM
> Subject: [Palaeoology] Air chambers
>
>
>
> Can anyone confirm that soft-shelled eggs don’t develop
> air-chambers? Hard to see how they could.
>
> Presumably crocs develop air-chambers. Do all hard-shelled
> eggs?
>
> Thanks for any views.
>
> Cordially,
>
> John V. Jackson
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>       Connect with friends all over the world. Get Yahoo!
> India Messenger at http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/?wm=n/

I hope everybody has had a good Christmas.

Anybody interested in the paper below?


Fractal-like Features of Dinosaur Eggshells
M.V.Rusu1), S. Gheorghiu2),

S.Gheorghiu@...
Summary. We carried out measurements on seriated sections through
dinosaur eggshells found in the
Hateg basin of Romania. The pore structure of these eggshells exhibits
peculiar hierarchical selfsimilarity,
from millimeter scale to nanoscale. At optical scale, the eggshell is
built up by packing bundles
of calcite carrots, well aligned with their axis perpendicular to the
eggshell surface, with "gaps" (macro
pores) in between. Each calcite carrot is about 0.5 mm in diameter and
has the length equal to the eggshell
thickness. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals that these
carrots are in turn micro porous spongy
calcite structure, with 1μm average pore diameter. The structure on an
even smaller scale is studied by
transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on thin sections prepared by
ion milling, using methods from
material science, revealing yet another layer of complexity.
The observed features lead us to the conclusion that calcite
crystallization leading to the carrot
morphology is controlled from the nano- to micro-scale by the
structure of the collagen net developed in
the eggshell cells.

I have PDF copies of the below papers.

Anybody fancy a copy?

Respectfully,

Xavier


PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSIS OF REPRODUCTIVE
TRAITS OF MANIRAPTORAN THEROPODS AND ITS
IMPLICATIONS FOR EGG PARATAXONOMY
by DARLA K. ZELENITSKY* and FRANC¸ OIS THERRIEN
[Palaeontology, Vol. 51, Part 4, 2008, pp. 807–816]

UNIQUE MANIRAPTORAN EGG CLUTCH FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS TWO MEDICINE
FORMATION OF MONTANA REVEALS THEROPOD NESTING BEHAVIOUR
Palaeontology
Volume 51, Issue 6, Date: November 2008, Pages: 1253-1259

Charles Deeming a member of our group has published an excellent paper
(see below).

Anybody fancy a PDF copy?

Xavier



Why were extinct gigantic birds so small?
D. Charles Deeminga* and Geoffrey F. Birchardb
aDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Lincoln, Riseholme
Park, Lincoln LN2 2LG, UK
bDepartment of Environmental Science and Policy, MSN 5F2, George Mason
University, Fairfax,
Virginia 22030, USA
*E-mail: cdeeming@...
ABSTRACT
This review details the six lineages of large flightless birds that
evolved in the Late Cretaceous,
Tertiary and Quaternary periods of geological time. Estimates of mass
for each type of bird suggest
that maximal mass is no greater than 500 kg with most species
attaining only 250–300 kg or less. By
contrast, non-avian Archosaurs of the Mesozoic, and many mammal
species of the Tertiary, attained
great size with many species reaching several tonnes. Size has been
limited in flightless birds because
of the strength of the eggshell and in the largest species
reproduction was only possible if the smaller
males incubated. That reproductive characteristics limit mass in
flightless birds suggests that truly
gigantic non-avian theropods could not contact incubate their eggs and
had to rely on environmental
sources of heat energy to drive embryonic development. If fossil
evidence ever arises to support
proper contact incubation in a non-avian theropod then it is predicted
that it will only be from a
small (5250 kg) species.

Anybody fancy a copy of the below paper?

Measuring egg size using digital photography: testing
Hoyt's method using Florida Scrub-Jay eggs

Received 14 August 2006; accepted 22 November 2006

ABSTRACT. Egg volumes are most often estimated using a mathematical model that
incorporates length and
width measurements and a species-specific shape variable. Although adequate in
many respects, this technique
does not account for intraspecific variation in egg shape. We developed a
computer-automated technique that
uses calibrated digital photographs to render precise measurements of several
egg-size parameters including length,
width, volume, and surface area. The system extracts egg outlines from
photographs, and divides each egg into
latitudinal slices that are subsequently regarded as simple geometric shapes
(cylinders or cone frustra) with volumes
and surface areas that can be summed to generate size parameters for the entire
egg. We tested this technique
using 491 eggs from Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) nests and
compared the resulting egg volumes with
volumes calculated using the preeminent method of estimating volume from linear
measurements. Our method
was highly accurate, and differences between the volumes from our method and the
alternative method were
strongly associated with variation in egg shape. Advantages of our technique
include decreased handling of eggs
and increased accuracy. Software resources and additional information regarding
the technique are available at
http://www.archbold-station.org/abs/data/birddata/Bridge-JFO-eggsize.htm.

Xavier,
If you are interested by this topic, I would encourage you to tread the
extensive work that Fabio and I performed and published:
F. de A. Machado, E. Hingst-Zaher 1, L. F. Silveira1 e G. Grellet-Tinner. 2008.
Utilizando la matriz de variancia-covariancia para corregir las deformaciones
diagenéticas: un ensayo utilizando huevos fósiles In Neuquén, III Congresso
Latino-Americano de Paleontologia de Vertebrados.


Dr. G. Grellet-Tinner
Assistant Professor
Associate Curator
Dept of Geology and Geological Engineering
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
501 E. St. Joseph St., Rapid City, SD 57701, USA
Phone: (605)394-5326
Fax: (605)394-6703

"If we believe absurdities, we shall commit atrocities." (Voltaire)

Could anybody find a copy of this paper?


F. de A. Machado, E. Hingst-Zaher 1, L. F. Silveira1 e G. Grellet-Tinner. 2008.
Utilizando la matriz de variancia-covariancia para corregir las deformaciones
diagenéticas: un ensayo utilizando huevos fósiles In Neuquén, III Congresso
Latino-Americano de Paleontologia de Vertebrados.
no-Americano de Paleontologia de Vertebrados.

Thanks in advance,

Xavier Panades

Pterosaur eggshell structure and its implications for
pterosaur reproductive biology
By
David M. Unwin1* & D. Charles Deeming2
1Department of Museum Studies, University of Leicester, 103-105 Princess Road
East, Leicester, LE1 7LG, UK.
2Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lincoln, Riseholme Park,
Lincoln, LN2 3LP, UK

Abstract
The recent discovery of pterosaur eggs containing embryos has provided important
evidence regarding the structure of pterosaur eggshell. Two eggs, from the same
locality and horizon in China, have a shell that appears to have been
parchment-like and pliable with no detectable mineralised calcareous component.
A third egg, from Argentina, preserves evidence of a single layer of calcite.
This is only 30 microns in thickness, however, and thus very much thinner than
mineralised layers reported in turtles that lay pliable-shelled eggs. All three
examples resemble the parchment-shelled eggs of squamate reptiles, but exhibit
variation in the degree of calcification of the outer surface, which also varies
between squamate species. It seems unlikely that the parchment-shelled eggs of
pterosaurs were incubated by direct contact with the body of a parent because of
the risk of crushing the egg. Moreover, the likely high permeability of a
parchment-like eggshell would have required burial in a very humid environment,
such as sand, soil, or perhaps in mounds of rotting vegetation, to prevent
desiccation during incubation. Consequently, pterosaur eggs are likely to have
developed in a thermal environment close to ambient temperatures and probably
subject to some temperature variation.

Egg shape and size allometry in geckos (Squamata: Gekkota), lizards with
contrasting eggshell structure: why lay spherical eggs?
L. Kratochvı´l1 and D. Frynta2
Abstract
Hard, highly calcified eggshells evolved several independent times during the
history of amniotes. Because of phylogenetic conservatism of this
trait, lineages in which closely related taxa differ in eggshell structure are
rare. Four gekkotan families (Carphodactylidae, Diplodactylidae,
Eublepharidae and Pygopodidae) have eggs with soft shells, while their close
relatives (Gekkonidae) lay eggs with hard shells. Geckos thus
offer a rare opportunity to compare the impact of the emergence of a hard
eggshell on the economy of egg architecture. Because a sphere has
the smallest surface area of all three-dimensional solids of a given volume,
spherical eggs in geckos with hard eggshells reduce calcium
investment and should therefore be advantageous. Here, we document that
hard-shelled gekkonid eggs are indeed more spherical than those of
the other gecko lineages. However, within gekkonids, small species lay more
elongated eggs than larger species. We speculate that miniature
gekkonid females, which lay larger

I have a Pdf copy of the below paper...

Abstract
The objectives of this study were to examine (1) optimal clutch size in great
tits (Parus major) nesting in nest boxes; (2) variation in egg
morphology and nestling growth rate with position in the laying sequence; and
(3) hatching asynchrony and nestling survival as determined
by infrared nest cameras. We collected data from 73 clutches in artificial nest
boxes in the Zuojia Natural Preserve area in Jilin
Province, China, in 2005 and 2006, using infrared cameras to match laying order
to hatching order for four nests. Egg morphology and
growth rate were significantly affected by clutch size and position in the
laying order. Overall, egg size and growth rate increased with
position in the laying order. In general, it was difficult to detect
asynchronous hatching from observations alone, but data from our infrared
cameras showed that early-laid eggs tended to hatch before later-laid eggs,
leading to hatching asynchrony. However, females
invested more into last-laid eggs and nestlings, reducing size asynchrony among
the chicks and leading to higher survival rates of nestlings.
Our results, therefore, provide support for the ``brood survival" hypothesis
rather than for the ``brood reduction" hypothesis.

Dear Xavier,

I am looking for to a paper a linedrawing map of Morocco with a mark of Taouz.
Do you have such or know who?

All the best,
Hans.

Anybody fancy a copy of the PDF paper from below?


Ratite Eggshells from Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Author(s): E. G. Franz Sauer and Peter Rothe
Source: Science, New Series, Vol. 176, No. 4030 (Apr. 7, 1972), pp. 43-45



Ratite Eggshells front Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Abstract. Struthiousa nd aepyornithotide ggshells from Tertiary calcareous
sediments
on Lunzarote prove the presencey antil about 12 million yevrs ago, of large
flightless birds. The calcarenite horizon is recognized- as an old land surface.
Mesozoic sedimentary rocks in the basement of the volcanic islands of Lanzarate
and neighboringF uerteventurai ndicate that Cltl eGtspt art of the Canary
Archipelago
is underlain by continental crus;t. Separation of the eastern Canaries from
Africa r.light have been by rifting, and a land connection might still have
existed
in the lower Pliocene.

Does any body fancy a copy fo the below paper?


Many reptiles lay their eggs together in the most suitable sites, but it is=
difficult to account for the colonial nesting habit
. . . without assuming that the gravid females are in some way attracted by=
the eggs of their own species.
(Noble and Mason 1933:13)


ABSTRACT
Communal egg-laying is widespread among animals, occurring in insects, moll=
usks, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds, just to name a few. While some=
benefits of communal egg-laying may be pervasive (e.g., it saves time and =
energy and may ensure the survival of mothers and their offspring), the rem=
arkable diversity in the life histories of the animals that exhibit this be=
havior presents a great challenge to discovering any general explanation. R=
eptiles and amphibians offer ideal systems for



Cordially,

Xavier Panades

Dear Colleague,

We would be very grateful if you could share send your papers to my address
xpan100@..., so I could distribute among the interested members.

Also, you might start a debate regarding communal nesting on gavialis
gangeticus, or just expressing your views...

Cordially,

Xavier

--- In Palaeoology@..., "Lala A.K. Singh" <laksingh2005@...>
wrote:
>
> Dear Members,
> �
> (1) Yes, I would be interested to go through the paper.
> (2) I have a paper on communal nesting in gharial:
> RAO, R.J. and L.A.K. SINGH (1993) - Communal nesting by gharial Gavialis
gangeticus (Gmelin) (Reptilia : Crocodilia) in National Chambal Sanctuary. J.
Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 90(1): 17-22.� If you do not have it already, I will
locate and scan for you.
> �
> (3) For a species like Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), communal nesting is the
best option, because while there is shortage for nesting sites, the nesting
sites also have to have a few characteristic features, eg: (a) slopy high sand
banks (that do not get inundated before monsoon flood, which is the time for
hatchlings to come out), (b) there should be deep flowing�water to get into
from the nesting site (mother needs that), flowing water ensures fish-movement
for hatchlings to feed upon; (c) an island on the river-course is most ideal
(for protection from intruders on the bank), (d) a mid-river rock or sandy patch
is ideal for the mother(s) and the male to guard. (e) the hatchlings use the
trail of empty egg shells from nest to water for recognising their natal-sites;
so when there are more number of nest, the signs do not disappear soon; (f)
another aspect needs correct interpretation,--- the dominant female usually
takes over charge of all hatchlings
>  from the communal nesting site; the hatchlings move and follow her; other
females watch from a distance or the opposite bank--- this could be resulting in
a species' survival�strategy,--- in which�all mothers are not "exposed" to
the odds.
> Best wishes.
> �
> Dr. Lala A. K. Singh, Prakruti Bhavan, Neelakantha Nagar Bhubaneswar, Orissa,
PIN: 751012, INDIA
>
> --- On Sun, 1/11/09, palaeoology <palaeoology@...> wrote:
>
>
> From: palaeoology <palaeoology@...>
> Subject: [Palaeoology] Dooddy et al. 2009 COMMUNAL EGG-LAYING IN REPTILES AND
AMPHIBIANS: EVOLUTIONARY
> To: Palaeoology@...
> Date: Sunday, 1 November, 2009, 10:39 PM
>
>
> �
>
>
>
> Does any body fancy a copy fo the below paper?
>
> Many reptiles lay their eggs together in the most suitable sites, but it is=
> difficult to account for the colonial nesting habit
> . . . without assuming that the gravid females are in some way attracted by=
> the eggs of their own species.
> (Noble and Mason 1933:13)
>
> ABSTRACT
> Communal egg-laying is widespread among animals, occurring in insects, moll=
> usks, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds, just to name a few. While some=
> benefits of communal egg-laying may be pervasive (e.g., it saves time and =
> energy and may ensure the survival of mothers and their offspring), the rem=
> arkable diversity in the life histories of the animals that exhibit this be=
> havior presents a great challenge to discovering any general explanation. R=
> eptiles and amphibians offer ideal systems for
>
> Cordially,
>
> Xavier Panades
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>       Now, send attachments up to 25MB with Yahoo! India Mail. Learn how.
http://in.overview.mail.yahoo.com/photos
>

COMMUNAL EGG-LAYING IN REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS:
EVOLUTIONARY PATTERNS AND HYPOTHESES
J. Sean Doody et al 2009:

http://www.cnah.org/pdf_files/1276.pdf


Not connected with the above..., I'm beginning to consider the possibility of
cuckoos having adapted their habit of laying in another species' nest from
laying in a conspecific's nest.  Cuckoos are fairly closely related to bustards.
I don't know what modern bustards do but if ostriches lay in communal nests
because there is a motive for large ground birds to do this, maybe a
bustard-like ancestor of cukoos might have influenced modern cuckoos.

Cheers,

John J.