Re: Lizard like bird-hips

["Nicholas J. Pharris" <pharrinj@PLU.edu>]

On Sat, 3 Feb 1996 Dinogeorge@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 96-02-03 18:20:11 EST, pharrinj@PLU.edu (Nicholas J.
> Pharris) writes:
> 
> >The name just became entrenched in the scientific vocabulary.  Bakker, 
> >for one, refers to use Predentata, a term coined by Marsh, as this 
> >describes a feature no non-ornithischian has, i.e. a predentary bone.
> 
> Indeed, Predentata _is_ a better term, because the ornithischian pelvis also
> occurs in segnosaurs, which were otherwise non-ornithischian phytodinosaurs,
> the closest-known sister group to Ornithischia. The predentary bone is the
> key ornithischian synapomorphy.
> 

I used to subscribe to the Paulian interpretation of segnosaurs, too; but 
a close look at the description of _Alxasaurus_ and at the skull of 
_Erlikosaurus_, I am convinced that they are derived coelurosaurian 
theropods, probably most closely related to ornitholestids or 
oviraptorosaurs.

Nick Pharris
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA 98447
(206)535-8204
PharriNJ@PLU.edu

"If you can't convince them, confuse them." -- Harry S. Truman