Re: not 2, but 3 new oviraptorids

["Mickey Mortimer" <Mickey_Mortimer11@msn.com>]

Gunter Van Acker wrote-

> Citipati sp. based on;
> (IGM 100/42) skull with several associated cervical vertebrae
> This material was previously referred to O. philoceratops.

Not only referred to Oviraptor philoceratops, it forms the basis of what
most of us think O. philoceratops is.  IGM 100/42 is the skeleton with the
trapezoidal crest illustrated as O. philoceratops by Paul (1988) and in the
Dinosauria.  Now that it's referred to Citipati (possibly my least favorite
dinosaur name....), O. philoceratops is only based on the holotype AMNH
6517.

> Norell et al. are not convinced of the close relationship that is often
> suggested for Therizinosaurs and Oviraptorosaurs, they also doubt that
> Caudipteryx (and Microvenator) is closely related to oviraptorids, and
> Norell states that he has a paper in press to prove all this.

Unless this is based on personal communication, I must correct you.  Norell
et al. state that a relationship with therizinosauroids was not found by
Norell et al. in press, but never mention anything about Caudipteryx and
Microvenator not being oviraptorosaurs.  I would have a hard time believing
they are anything but oviraptorosaurs actually.....

Norell, Clark and Makovicky. In press. Relationships among Maniraptora:
Problems and Prospects. Yale Peabody Museum special volume honoring John
Ostrom.

Mickey Mortimer