Coelurosaurian T. rex: Dinosaur Orthodoxy

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

> >Now that coelurosaurs have got pretty big with the inclusion of
>>tyrannosaurs, just what is an acceptable definition of the differences
>>between the two?
>>Graeme Worth
>
>I thought that the inclusion of tyrannosaurs into ceolurosauria (or
>whatever the term is) was still being considered heretical or at least very
>controversial. Has it gained general acceptance? Is Tyrannosaurus more
>closely related to Deinocheirus than to, say, Allosaurus?

Heretical?  No, I'm proud to say.  ALL of the theropod phylogenies (except
for Martin's :-) ) presented at the Theropod Symposium recognized that
tyrannosaurids shared more recent common ancestor with birds than with
Allosaurus (and thus, are coelurosaurs).  I don't think I would be violating
professional ethics to say that a certain well respected Californian
systemicist who unfortunately could not make it to the symposium also agrees
with that general position.


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