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David Marjanovic wrote-
>...because the elongated basisphenoid is
probably -- I don't know -- present in every elongated braincase, which may IMHO
easily evolve more often than once; the forked posterior end of the premaxilla
is surely not something that won't evolve twice either, I think (again, I don't
know). Also, that it shares these characters with Syntarsus but --
apparently -- not with the very similar Coelophysis is, if true,
striking.
Even if these characters can evolve easily, an
alternative relationship with supposedly better characters would be preferred
over just saying the present characters are unreliable. Of all the
theropods Rauhut examined, only Coelophysis, Syntarsus and Shuvosaurus have such
elongate basisphenoids. The forked premaxilla was only found in
Coelophysis, Syntarsus, Shuvosaurus and Compsognathus. Their presence in
other coelophysoids is uncertain due to lack of complete skulls.
Mickey Mortimer
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