Gondwanan dinosaur evolution and biogeographic analysis

Gondwanan dinosaurs, though less well-known than their Laurasian counterpar ts, are being discovered and described at an ever accelerating pace. Dinosa urs are known from every major Gondwanan landmass, including South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, India, Madagascar and New Zealand. Much of the Gondwanan dinosaur literature includes speculation on vicariant and dis persal events relating to the fragmentation of Gondwana during the Jurassic and Cretaceous. These prolific biogeographic hypotheses are often inconclu sive, speculative in nature, and untestable with the data at hand. To formu late well-supported biogeographic hypotheses, resolved dinosaur phylogenies and sound hypotheses of Earth history are necessary. Other factors, such a s taphonomy, depositional setting, and missing taxonomic, temporal and geog raphic data, also contribute to understanding dinosaur faunal compositions. Additional phylogenetic information, a continuation of the current explora tion and discovery, and knowledge of recent advances in tectonic plate reco nstructions are paramount to developing a well-supported view of Gondwanan dinosaur biogeography. (C)1999 Elsevier Science Limited. All rights reserve d.