synapomorphies not created equal

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

Dear All,
     I've been thinking very hard about this, and I am still not convinced 
that all synapomorphies are created equal.  Some are "stronger" than others 
no matter how long or big the evolutionary gap happens to be in which it 
falls.
     In my opinion, the one synapomorphy of Mammalia, the movement of the 
three ossicles from the mandible into the ear of the first mammals, was 
strongly selected for and occurred relatively rapidly.  It is thus a very 
strong synapomorphy.
    In fact, that one mammalian synapomorphy may be stronger than all the 
dinosaur synapomorphies (proposed by Sereno and /or Gauthier) put together.  
 One mammalian synapomorphy has stood the test of time, for a very long 
period of time.  The fact that Gauthier and Sereno felt compelled to compile 
a long list of dinosaur synapomorphies indicates to me that they have no 
strong confidence in any of them.
    This almost cries out for the need for these purported synapomorphies 
to be evaluated, and that the strongest be identified and carefully 
scrutinized.  The therapsid-to-mammal transition is just as well documented 
(if not more so) as that of the transition to "non-dinosaurs" to dinosaurs.  
Therefore the lack of a strong synapomorphy in the latter should be taken as 
a strong signal that a comprehensive reevaluation is required.  The question 
is who will be the "Dave Peters" of dinosaur origins.
    I can think of three people (at least) who could fill that role (and I 
am not one of them).  I can certainly try to prepare myself in case none of 
them take up the challenge, but I am still relatively new at the basal 
dinosaur game, and have a lot of catching up to do.  I'm confident that one 
of those will achieve a proper reevaluation well before I can, but given my 
disappoint with what has been happening in bacteriology, I am certainly not 
going to take it for granted.  I believe than Crurotarsi will probably not 
survive, and it is still a toss-up whether Dinosauria will survive as a 
clade.  Therefore those who have challenged me to come up with an 
alternative set of synapomorphies will have to wait for me to catch up or 
hope that those that those who need less "catching-up" will rise to the 
challenge.  I would prefer the latter, since I have other projects that need 
attention,  and strongly suspect that at least one of them will will rise to 
this challenge.  All I can say is the sooner the better.
              ------Ken Kinman

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