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oviraptorosaurs (sensu lato)
Jaime and others,
Since there is increasing consensus on a large single clade,
"oviraptorosaurs" (sensu lato; i.e. sensu Currie and Padian, 1997), I will
code it as such:
8A Therizinosauridae
8B Caudipteridae
_a_ Oviraptoridae (incl. Caenagnathines)
I personally find splitting off caenagnathines (hope I spelled this
correctly) as a separate family unnecessary and a little distracting (but
you can split it into two small families if you wish).
Anyway, here is how I would classify this clade down to the generic
level:
****************************************************
8A Therizinosauridae
1 Beipaiosaurus
2 Alxasaurus
3 Enigmosaurus
Erlikosaurus (not sure how to
Nanshiungosaurus code these genera)
Segnosaurus
Therizinosaurus
8B Caudipteridae
1 Microvenator
2 Caudipteryx
? {{Oviraptoridae}} "sedis mutabilis"
3 Nomingia
_a_ Oviraptoridae
1 Caenagnathasia
2A Chirostenotes
2B Elmisaurus
3 Oviraptor
4 Ingenia
*******************************************************
NOTE: I am trying to be diplomatic here exactly where I am placing the
{{Oviraptoridae}} marker. Mickey Mortimer would apparently place it as
sister group to Microvenator (and he would move the marker up and code it as
1B).
Jaime would place it as sister group to Nomingia (move it down and
code the marker as 4). I didn't want to take sides, and who knows, maybe it
will instead turn out to be sister group to Caudipteryx (code the marker as
2B). In any case, it is in such cases of cladistic uncertainty that I
believe paraphyly to be useful (but rendered "semi-holophyletic" by adding
the exgroup marker).
I have been using this cladisto-eclectic system for over 20 years and
find it so useful that I never plan to go back to the old nebulous
eclecticism (which cladists rightly criticize), but also will not embrace
pure cladism (formal paraphyly forbidden) either. To me this is a fruitful
middle ground (not to be confused with being partially pregnant). ;-)
------Ken Kinman
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