S. Blair Hedges, aquatic avialian theropods, et al.

[StephanPickering@cs.com]

       S. Blair Hedges who, with the late Charles Sibley, deepened one's understanding of post-K/T theropod phylogenetic systematics with DNA sequencing, has published a new paper, mentioned here on the list: Marcel van Tuinen, Dave Brian Butwell, J.A. Kirsch, S. Blair Hedges, 2001. Convergence and divergence in the evolution of aquatic birds. Proc. Royal Soc. London B268:1345-1350.
       I would like to urge List members to peruse the Hedges Laboratory website at <www.bio.psu.edu/faculty/hedges/>
       There, one will be linked to a list of all of the publications SBH has published since 1977, a significant number available free as an E-print, including the article listed above. Those not listed as an e-print in pdf format can be obtained by following the directions at the website.
       More scholars such as SBH are needed to make available their research papers, as citing = sighting. One professional organisation,  for exorbitant fees, will provide bound copies of dissertations. Needless to say,  the need is for a more general dinosaur database of such dissertations. For a small fee to the dissertation author and/or website manager,  one should be able to print one's own copy (any copying shop can do similar soft-cover binding), for continuation of the dialogue which is paleontology. Many European dissertations, e.g., are available through the British Library (at nearly $100.00) a copy, further compounding the problem of  scholarship being elusive.