Re: Arctometatarsalian

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 96-02-13 12:15:58 EST, nking.ucs@smtp.usi.edu (King, Norm)
writes:

>I have a harder time rationalizing the routing of nerves through the 
>brain case as changing for mechanical advantage, and therefore as being 
>an adapatation for a particular lifestyle.  There is adequate precedent 
>for giving great weight to the routing of nerves--it's how we determined 
>the origin of jaws in fish.  If this is just one character state in the 
>cladistic matrix, with no special weight, the computerized cladogram may 
>not show it uniting birds and arctomets.  I don't know if Nick's 
>information about V1 is right, but if it is, I think this is an area that 
>might be profitably pursued to help work out the theropod/bird 
>phylogenetic mess.

Bakker has been onto braincases and cranial-nerve anatomy for years, but he
hasn't published very much, unfortunately. He can sketch many theropod
braincases from memory.