Re: K/T birds

["Mickey_Mortimer11" <Mickey_Mortimer11@email.msn.com>]

David Marjanovic wrote-

> Just for the record, the closest known thing to this is *Gargantuavis*, 2
> sacra of a Maastrichtian bird estimated to have weighed 141 kg and not
> thought to be a neornithine (though euornithine). The Dinosauricon lists
it
> as possibly related to *Patagopteryx*, though I don't know why.

It's there because Buffetaut and Le Loeuff (1998) indicated the two share a
broad pelvis  and anteriorly placed acetabulum.  This has been the only
suggestion as to its placement that I know of, though the characters aren't
very convincing.  Gargantuavis may in fact be an ornithurine because it has
more than nine sacrals (basal euornithines like Patagopteryx and Yanornis
have nine).

Mickey Mortimer