Re: _Elaphrosaurus_, a Coelophysid?

[Thomas_R_HOLTZ@umail.umd.edu (th81)]

>  In _Predatory Dinosaurs of the World_, Greg Paul rejected the thoughts
>about _Elaphrosaurus that were previlent at the time, and put the genus
>_Elaphrosaurus_ into the family Coelophysidae instead of the Ornithomimidae
>as it is in _The Dinosauria_.  Has anyhting new come to light about the
>proper taxonomic position of _Elaphrosaurus_?

In my 1994 theropod phylogeny, I found that Elaphrosaurus was indeed a
ceratosaur.  This is concurred by Sereno et al. 1994 and Clark et al. 1994(
or 5, I can't remember).  I do not know of any theropod systemicist who
still thinks Elaphrosaurus is an ornithomimosaur.

>believe me I would have spelled Coelophydidae correctly (with the smushed oe
>letter).

That would no longer be correct: diacrtitical marks and "smushed letters"
are no longer valid in taxonomic nomenclature (and haven't been since the
1960s, I think).

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Vertebrate Paleontologist
Dept. of Geology
University of Maryland
College Park, MD  20742
Email:Thomas_R_HOLTZ@umail.umd.edu (th81)
Fax: 301-314-9661
Phone:301-405-4084