ALVAREZSAURID SUBCLADES

[Tetanurae <Tetanurae@aol.com>]

Mike Keesey wrote:
<< If _Shuvuuia_ and _Mononykus_ turn out to share a clade exclusive of
 _Parvicursor_, then that can be called Mononykinae.
 
 Any problems with this scheme? >>

Yes.  The definition of Parvicursoridae explicetly states that Mononykus isn't
a Parvicursorid.  So, the logical way to resolve this is to make
Parvicursoridae a stem based taxon {Parvicursor > Mononykus | Elmisaurus |
Oviraptor | Saurornithoides | Dromaeosaurus}.

Mononykinae is explicetly a node based taxon {Mononykus + Shuvuuia}.

Like I said in my previous example, if Shuvuuia and Parvicursor end up clser
to eachother than either is to Mononykus, Shuvuuia and Parvicursor would be
Parvicursorid (or Parvicursorin as George would prefer) Mononykine
Alvarezsaurids.  Whether this would happen would await a more detailed
analysis, and seeing the paper.....

Peter Buchholz
Tetanurae@aol.com