Re: A new theropod cladogram

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

On Fri, 9 Feb 1996 Stang1996@aol.com wrote:

> Before you say it, yes I know there is no way in hell this will line up, but
> oh well.
> 
>  Ce     M     Ca    O     Ar     Ty    Bu     Al   Bi
>   \      \     \     \     \      \     \      \   /
>     \      \     \     \     \      \     \      1
>       \      \     \     \     \      \     \   /
>         \      \     \     \     \      \     2
>           \      \     \     \     \      \  /
>             \      \     \     \     \     3
>               \      \     \     \     \  /
>                 \      \     \     \    4
>                   \      \     \     \  /
>                     \      \     \    5
>                       \      \     \  /
>                         \     \     6
>                           \     \  /
>                             \    7
>                               \ /
>                                8
> 
> Ce = Ceratosauria; M = Megalosauroidea; Ca = Carnosauria; Or =
> Ornitholestidae; Ar = Archaeopterygiformes (including Oviraptorisauria); Ty =
> Tyrannosauroidea (?including Compsignathidae); Bu = Bullatosauria; Al =
> Alvarezsauria; Bi = all other Birds.
> 
> 1 is unnamed (AFAIK); 

It's called Metornithes in the description of _Mononykus_.  I'm not 
totally sure about the closeness of _Alvarezsaurus_ and the Mononykidae.  
The Mononykidae do belong where you put them, but based on foot structure 
and hypershortened cervical neural spines, I'm thinking _Alvarezsaurus_ 
may be related to _Microvenator_ and the other oviraptorosaurs.

> 2 is unnamed (AFAIK); 

I think, based on pelvic and pedal characters, that tyrannosaurs and 
bullatosaurs most probably do form a monophyletic clade, the 
Arctometatarsalia.

3 is arctometatarsalia; 

Birds, _sensu stricto_, are not arctomets.  I misspoke when I said so 
several weeks ago.

4 is
> Maniraptora or Manuraptoriformes or Avialae or Aves (take your pick); 5 is
> Coeluria (or Coelurosauria); 6 is Avetheropoda or Neotetanurae; 7 is
> Tetanurae; 8 is Theropoda.
> 

<snip>

> Carnosauria (I would very much prefer Paul's Allosauria, but I would be the
> only that would use it), 

Not at all.  I much prefer Allosauria for this clade.  Allosauria is more 
precise, and Carnosauria too confusing.

> Add onto that, the Ceratosauria,
> and you have Theropoda.  

I have a sneaking suspicion that "neoceratosaurians" are closer to 
tetanurans than Coelophysoids are.  Now to try to prove it...

> 
> Peter Buchholz
> Stang1996@aol.com
> 

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