Class AVES expanded (preliminary classification)

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

Dear All,
     I have thought about this long and hard for well over a year, and have 
come to the conclusion that Class AVES should be expanded to include 
maniraptors which possess so many bird characteristics that they should be 
called birds.  It will be an apomorphy-based taxon that is approximately 
equivalent to the cladistic stem-based "Maniraptora".
     The fact that Archaeopteryx was so long considered the first bird was 
just an accident of history, but new fossils (from China in particular) now 
almost cry out for a paradigm shift that is reflected in our nomenclature, 
both formal and informal.
    The precise synapomorphy (or group of synapomorphies) is not yet 
certain, but it will involve elements of the "folded" forelimb (particularly 
in the wrist and manus).  I am certainly open to suggestions on which would 
be the best and most precise synapomorphies for this new definition of Class 
Aves.
    This expanded Aves will now include (but not be defined by) forms that:
(1) possess vaned feathers; (2) possess eggs with ornithoid microstructure; 
(3) possess lateral shoulder joints; (4) enlargement of sterna; and various 
other bird characteristics.
    Furthermore, it will now contain those forms which display various 
degrees of pubic retroversion (including mesopuby).  Many of these forms 
have pelvic structures that are more bird-like, and they should probably 
never have been classified in Saurischia in the first place.  I believe the 
time has come to expand Class Aves to include all these "birds".  I had 
already classified Order Mononykiformes in Class Aves in my 1994 
classification, so there are only two new Orders, namely Segnosauriformes 
and Caenagnathiformes (and these are obviously just Internet-type manuscript 
names).
    My preliminary classification is given below (Pl. is my abbreviation 
for Plesion):
*****************************************
CLASS AVEA (AVES)

1  Segnosauriformes
       1  Pl. Beipiaosaurus
       2  Alxasauridae
       ?  Pl. Neimongosaurus
       3  Therizinosauridae
2  Caenagnathiformes
       1  Pl. Protarcheopteryx
       ?  Avimimidae
       2  Pl. Caudipteryx
       3  Pl. Microvenator
       4  Pl. Nomingia
       5  Caenagnathidae
       6  Oviraptoridae
3  Plesion Alvarezsaurus
B  Mononykiformes
       1  Patagonykidae
       2  Parvicursoridae
       3  Mononykidae
4  Plesion Troodontidae
5  Archaeopterygiformes
       1  "utahraptorid" family
       2  Pl. Pyroraptor
       3  Pl. Bambiraptor
       B  Velociraptoridae
       C  Dromaeosauridae
       4  Pl. Sinornithosaurus
       ?  Pl. Unenlagia
       5  Pl. Microraptor
       6  Pl. Rahonavis
       7  Archaeopterygidae
       8  Yandangornithidae
       9  Pl. Sapeornis
      10  Confuciusornithidae
      11  Enantiornithidae
      12  {{Euornithes}} (Patago., etc.)
_1_ Patagopterygiformes
2  Hesperornithiformes
3  Plesion Apsaravis
4  Ichthyornithiformes
5  Tinamiformes
_a_ Struthioniformes (ratites)
6  Galliformes
    .....other neognath orders

***************************************
NOTE:  I will be discussing the precise apomorphy-based definition of the 
new Aves in the days to come.  All suggestions are welcome.  And also note 
that I plan to add Plesion Bagaraatan once I decide the best place for it.


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