Re: bipedality in pterosaurs (was:climbing dromaeosaurs and friends)

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 12/10/00 5:49:40 PM EST, scott_hartman@hotmail.com writes:

<< Either way I think Lagosuchus is more repsresentative of a dinosaur 
ancestor >>

As far as I know, no known lagosuchian has all five pedal digits, just five 
metatarsals. This would disqualify them from serving as ancestral sauropods, 
for example, since sauropods (and a few sauropod-like prosauropods) retain 
the primitive reptilian condition of five functional pedal digits 
(primitively, two phalanges on the fifth pedal digit). Find a five-toed 
lagosuchian first, then lets talk about lagosuchians as >dinosaur< ancestors.

If the group Dinosauria is to include sauropods, then as far as present 
knowledge goes, it should also include lagosuchians as dinosaurs, somewhere 
at the base of the theropod subclade. They do make pretty good 
theropod/dino-bird ancestors.