Re: Details on Ricardoestesia isosceles

["Tim Williams" <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Mickey_Mortimer wrote:

> Ricardoestesia Currie, Rigby and Sloan 1990
> R. isosceles Sankey 2001

> Relationships-
> The phylogenetic relationships of Ricardoestesia are obscure due to >the 
> many plesiomorphies, although it can be safely omitted from >several groups 
> (Ornithomimosauria, Segnosauria+Oviraptorosauria, >Alvarezsauridae, 
> Troodontidae, Eumaniraptora).  Perhaps it is related to basal coelurosaurs, 
> tyrannosaurs or Bagaraatan.


I've often wondered if _Ricardoestesia_ might actually be a bird.  Says 
Julia Sankey of one tooth (V-6237) "The tooth is indented at the base as in 
bird teeth (Currie, personal commun., 1999)."  If _Ricardoestesia_ is avian, 
it may explain why only teeth and a dentary are known for the genus: the 
rest of the skeleton was so gracile that it was rarely preserved.


Tim

------------------------------------------------------------

Timothy J. Williams

USDA/ARS Researcher
Agronomy Hall
Iowa State University
Ames IA 50014

Phone: 515 294 9233
Fax:   515 294 3163

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