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Hello.
As it is widely known, Gerhard Heilmann reached his
conclusion that birds descended from Pseudosuchians largely due to his failure
to find clavicles from the remains of theropod dinosaurs. However, I read from
Gregory S. Paul's Predatory Dinosaurs of the World that: "It was a fatal mistake
[claiming that theropods lacked clavicles], for Henry Osborn had described the
collarbones of the theropod Oviraptor just two years before!" So, I reckon,
Heilmann just didn't know about the find, and based his thesis on premises that
were incorrect even in his own times.
On the other hand, I read from the 'net that "In
1936, Charles Camp discovered the fossil remains of an early Jurassic theropod
which possessed clavicles, and since that time other theropods with clavicles
have been found (Padian & Chiappe, 1998)." So, according to this text, the
first theropod clavicles were found after Heilmann's book was published (1996).
I just wonder which statement is correct. Would anyone have the
expertese?
And then, I would like to know if these "clavicles"
from Oviraptor and the theropod Camp found (it would also be nice to know
what theropod this was) were real furculas or just usual clavicles. I believe
clavicles are primitive character of Tetanurans.
Thanks in advance,
Henri Rönkkö
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