Xavier digging in 2003 at B-Rex in Montana (USA).  

http://www.myspace.com/xpanades

Xavier Panades I Blas

Postal address:  55, Marksbury Road

Bedminster

Bristol, BS3 5JY

England (EC)

E-mail addresses: xp1pls@bolton.ac.uk  & cogombra@hotmail.com

Thesis title:
The Systematic utility of Megaloolithus oospecies as indicators of dinosaur palaeobiodiversity

Names of thesis supervisors and advisors:

Main supervisor: Dr. R. Howell

Co-supervisor: Dr Roland Baddeley

Position:
Research student and owner of the Palaeo-oological Discussion group (click here to access the free electronic palaeo-oological publication list).

Research Interests:

-Paleobiodiversity,  palaeobiographical, and palaeobiosystematic applications of eggshells.

-Application of biomineralization processes in biosystematic analyses of eggshells.

-The origin of eggs.

-Fluctuating asymmetry on modern and fossil turtle shells.

Biographical note

I became interested in palaeobiological research during my degree in Environmental studies at the University of Bolton.

          The outcomes of my undergraduate dissertation, under the supervision of Frank Goodridge, indicated that temperature, predators, and the size of the colony influence as much as sun energy (outlined before as the only factor) in the building of the communal nests by the European caterpillar moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) in Catalonia.

          Further field work in collaboration with Prof. T. Fitzgerald, also concluded that T. pityocampa extraordinarily feeds and locomotives well bellow temperatures where the activity of most other insects is abridged.

         My Masters thesis under the supervision of Prof. M. Benton, and advised externally by Prof. N. Lopez-Martinez was focused on determining the taxonomical utility of megaloolithid oospecies.

        Indeed, fossil eggshells could be valid indicators of fauna palaeobiodiversity if the diversity of species could be defined by the diversity of oospecies.

        However,  megaloolithid oospecies exhibit both a large metric and morphological continuous variability within egg clutches, as well as between eggshells from different localities and ages;  and have never been directly or indirectly associated to embryonic or postnatal skeletal remains. Therefore, they cannot be directly attributed to a particular species of dinosaur.

        Though, taxonomically assignations are unnecessary for palaeodiversity studies of eggshells (more concerned with the number of (oo)-species than their taxonomic attribution); if morphometric and biostatistic analyses could demarcate taxonomically the variability and diversity of oospecies .

        In fact, the outcomes of my Master thesis applying simple morphometric and biostatistic analyses suggested heterogeneity amid megaloolithid oogenera from Suterranya (Catalonian Pyrenees); and were interpreted as probably indicative of dinosaur polytypic diversity, instead of polymorphism of eggshell from one dinosaurian paleospecies.

          Though the outcomes stand well on their own, and were indeed a novel contribution to the study of extinct and extant faunal diversity, it does not prove that each megaloolithid oospecies was laid by a different species of dinosaur.

        During my PhD I will set up a morphometric model delimiting the infra- and interspecific variability amid eggs, clutches, and oospecies among modern eggshells from reptiles and birds, and Megaloolithus oogenera; using macro- and micro-structures such as egg size and height and width of eggshell’s unit.  

            The model will be tested using eggshells from the last horizons of the of Late Cretaceous of Coll de Nargó (Catalonia, Iberia Peninsula).

Publications

            Panades I Blas, X. (2000) An initial study of the communal nests of the Thaumeotopoea pityocampa, Saninet.

          Panades I Blas, X. (2000) A review of the Future Contribution of Bio-fuels to Energy supply in Catalonia, Saninet.

          Panades I Blas, X. (2002) Does Diversity of dinosaur eggshells mean diversity of dinosaurs? Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 22 (3), supplement Abstracts of papers, 94A.

          Fitzgerald, T. D. & X. Panades I Blas (2003).  Mid-winter foraging of colonies of the pine processionary caterpillar Thaumetopoea pityocampa schiff. (Thaumetopoeidae). Journal of the Lepidopterits’ Society, 57: 161-167.

          Panades I Blas, X., R., S., Loyal, H., H., Schleich, & E., Llinas-Agrasar (2004) Pristichampsine cranial remains from the basal redbed facies of the Subathu Formation (Himachal Pradesh, India), and some palaeobiographical remarks. www.PalArch.nl, vertebrate palaeontology, 3(1):1-8.

          Panades I Blas, X. (2005) Diversity versus Variability in Megaloolithid Dinosaur Eggshells. www.PalArch.nl, vertebrate palaeontology, 2(1):1-15.

          Panades I Blas, X. (2006) [Review of "Unearthing the Dragon: The Great Feathered Dinosaur Discovery" by M. Ellison & M. Norell] PalArch book reviews, 2006.

          Panades I Blas, X., & R., Patnaik A fossil crocodile egg from the Miocene Chinji formation of Pakistan (in preparation).

         Murelaga X., & X. Panades I Blas A record of reptilian eggshells from the Baenas Reales (Nafarroa) (in preparation).