oviraptorosaurs (sensu lato)

["Ken Kinman" <kinman@hotmail.com>]

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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