Re: carcharodontine furculae

[AM Yates <Adam.Yates@bristol.ac.uk>]

On Fri, 21 Apr 2000, Mickey Mortimer wrote:

> 
> 
> Tykoski, R.S.  1998.  The osteology of Syntarsus kayentakatae and its
> implications for ceratosaurid phylogeny.  Unpublished Masters
> Thesis,University of Texas at Austin, 217 pp.
> 
> Therefore, the most inclusive clade with furculae would be the Eutheropoda,
> which may equal Theropoda depending on the position of Eoraptor and
> herrerasaurids.  The furcula has been lost in several lineages though,
> including Carnotaurus, Segisaurus, Pelecanimimus (and probably other
> ornithomimosaurs), Sinosauropteryx and Sinornithoides.

Further preparation on Segisaurus has revealed that the clavicles were
fused into a furcula in that specimen as well. Furthermore the the
ventral ends of the clavicles of Sinornithoides are broken so they could
be the two ends of a furcula whose midsection is missing (especially
since Troodon furculae have been described).

cheers

Adam Yates