Re: theropod pubic boots

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

On Wed, 7 Feb 1996, King, Norm wrote:

> 
> I assume that theropod pubic boots existed for attachment of some kind of 
> ventral muscles that aided locomotion.  Can someone tell me, or tell me 
> where to go (you know--a reference) to get information, on the specific 
> musculature involved, and its presumed function?  Thanks in advance.
> 
> -------------------------------
> 
> BTW, the latest version of "my" coelurosaurian classification (for a 
> class handout) still has Maniraptora and Arctometatarsalia as 
> suprafamilial categories, labeled thus:  "Maniraptora (suprafamilial 
> group)*", and "Arctometatarsalia (suprafamilial group)*".  

You could certainly call them hyperfamilies, if you wanted to.

> I'm 
> not going to use Ornithomimosauroidea, etc., which I guess are 
> technically correct, or Arctometatarsaliuroidea, etc., which are 
> categories that don't exist.  

Actually, you couldn't use either of these anyway, as they are not based 
on generic names.

> I'll just call them "arctos" in discussions.

I'm kind of partial to "Paraves" ("beside birds," a term I coined several 
years ago) as a term for arctometatarsalians.

I can't say I like your noncommittal stance on where birds fit in.  I 
think it would be highly beneficial to show your students just how deeply 
nested within the Theropoda the birds actually are.

> Norman R. King                                       tel:  (812) 464-1794
> Department of Geosciences                            fax:  (812) 464-1960


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