Re: Important feathered dinosaurs

[Mike Keesey <tmk@dinosaur.umbc.edu>]

On Mon, 6 Dec 1999, Larry Dunn wrote:

> I'd like to invite you all to take off your cautious
> hats and expound a bit on what you consider the two
> most important feathered dinosaur finds to be for
> science, and why.  

_Archaeopteryx lithographica_ is clearly the most important one. I think,
anyway.

For second place, I'd choose _Beipiaosaurus inexpectus_ (which wasn't
really all that unexpected). It's not just a feathered theropod -- it's
a basal therizinosaur, and helped nail down their position as aberrant
coelurosaurs (well, I have heard a couple of people opine that it's
identification may be erroneous). Also, it's the biggest Mesozoic dinosaur
known to have feathers!

_Sinornithosaurus millenii_ is preety interesting, too, though ... tough
choice.

-- T. Michael Keesey .................................. <tmk@dinosaur.umbc.edu>
   My Worlds (including The Dinosauricon) ... <http://dinosaur.umbc.edu/keesey>
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