Re: Paul's new DotA taxa

["Mickey Mortimer" <Mickey_Mortimer111@msn.com>]

Nicholas Gardner wrote-

> Promaxillary fenestra?  Wait.  What makes a fenestra a promaxillary
fenestra
> as opposed to a maxillary fenestra?

The promaxillary fenestra is more anterior than the maxillary fenestra and
is thought to have evolved first.  So those taxa with only one fenestra are
assumed to have only a promaxillary fenestra (based on Witmer's 1997? work).

> Has Protoavia appeared yet?

Yes, he says it's roughly equivalent to Avepectora, but obsolete.  Actually,
it looks exactly equivalent, except for the addition of segnosaurs,
Caudipteryx, Rahonavis and some basal birds.  The latter three were not
known at the time of PDW, and would certainly have been included as
protoavians if they were.  Of course, he didn't even think segnosaurs were
theropods.  Both Protoavia and Avepectora seem equivalent to
Maniraptoriformes to me.

> There's always the undefined Protoavia.

No, Protoavia included ornithomimosaurs, so would not be appropriate for a
maniraptoran subclade.

Mickey Mortimer