Re: K/T birds - a word to the wise.

["David Marjanovic" <david.marjanovic@gmx.at>]

> > > Heptasteornis (Maastrichtian, Romania)
> >
> >Overlooked that one. Also not a bird, like its compatriots &
> >-temporaries.
>
> I would guess you're alluding to the material from Transylvania named (or
> referred to) _Heptasteornis_, _Bradycneme_ or _Elopteryx_.

yep

> I would keep on
> open mind regarding the status of this stuff; some of it may be genuinely
> avian.

Really? Haven't read that so far, and Paul Dica who's working on that stuff
didn't say that either in his talk at the museum here. Well, fragmentary as
it all is...

> >All known confuciusornithids, that is, *Confuciusornis sanctus*, *C.
>dui*,
> >various probable synonyms of the former, *Changchengornis
>hengdaoziensis*
> >and *Proornis coreae*, are Barrêmian.
>
> David, on what basis do you assign _Proornis_ to the Confuciusornithidae?

I simply believe HP Mickey Mortimer's Details On Proornis so far. :-)

> Has the thing even been described yet?

Probably not well enough to lift it from nomen nudum status.

> Tommy Tyberg's list looks very comprehensive.  However, keep in mind that
> quite a few of these genera are (a) not yet officially described;

sure

> (b) based
> on very fragmentary material which may not be diagnostic (_Torotix_ -
> whatever you are - please step forward).

sure

> Also, a lot of the taxa based on
> "birdy bits" from Eurasia may not qualify as good, diagnosable genera.

sure (all these crumbles identified as coracoid shafts and whatnot... urgh)

> The list also includes alvarezsaurids - in which case you might want to
> include little _Parvicursor_.

Forgot that, too! :-)

> While on the topic of possibly-termitivorous alvarezsaurids, the powerful
> mono-clawed forelimbs may be useful for slicing through bee hives too,
> especially those hives built in rotting trees (such as by modern
_Trigona_).

Wouldn't that require climbing abilities? (Never heard of _Trigona_.)