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Becklespinax
> B.altispinax (Paul,1988) >> Acrocanthosaurus
altispinax (Paul,1988)
The three dorsals from Battle, England. As presently
regognized, Becklespinax altispinax consists of an
articulated series of three vertebrae from the caudal region of the
dorsal series. Originally figured by Owen (1884), this specimen
comes from the Wealden of Battle, England.
The neural spines of these vertebrae are elongate, five times
as high as the centra. They bear no particular similarity to the
dorsals of Spinosaurus
aegyptiacus to which they often have been compared: in that
species, the spines are craniocaudally dilated just dorsal to the
arches, while in Becklespinax, thay are constricted just
above the arches.
The centra phylogenetic position, although they de represent
a valid taxon and are not referable to the better-known Baryonyx
walkeri (Charig & Milner,1986). Two referred isolated
metatarsals described as II and Iv (Lydekker,1889) seemingly
represent two fourth metatarsals, of similar diameter but different
length. They presumably do not both pertain to the same species and
do not demonstrably pertain to Becklespinax
altispinax. |