Showing posts with label holiday fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiday fun. Show all posts

Friday, December 19, 2008

Predictions for 2009

I enjoy reading John Hawks' blog for a change of pace away from matters archosaurian. I quite enjoy reading his predictions and seeing how they pan out. So I'm giving it a go here. These are my predictions for the big stories in dinosaurs and dino-related science in 2009. (Some obvious ones are ommited because I have insider knowledge and that would be cheating).
Arranged from most likely to most far out.

1) A new genus in the Tyrannosauridae will be named. There are several contenders floating around, lets hope they will see the light of publication next year.

2) An Early Jurassic tetanuran will be found (several have been claimed but none stand up to scrutiny).

3) The first incontrovertible evidence (e.g. a neck column)for a mamenchisaur outside of Asia.

4) A definitive non-avian dinosaur parasite will be found (probably will be a louse or a mite amongst the feathers or protofeathers of something from Liaoning).

5)A major descriptive monograph from the Sereno stable. Hopefully Eoraptor or Jobaria.

6) A complete well-preserved non-dinosaurian dinosauromorph skull will be found.

7) A Late Norian-Rhaetian herrerasaur will be announced.

8)An incontrovertible proto-pterosaur will be announced (I know there are some supposed contenders but I don't think they qualify as 'incontrovertible').

9) Good evidence that air sac systems are basal to crown group archosaurs will be published.

10) A site spanning the Late Pliensbachian to Aalenian will be found with evidence for a mass extinction.

Feel free to suggest your own or let me know if one or more of these is indeed a reality in the pipeline!