Re: The mystery of the furcula

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

Tracy Ford wrote-

> > Good, but  I think the point is theropod researches use this, so I guess
> > they are all wrong!
>
> Pardon, I don't understand, what do they use?<<
> *
> The furcula.

Yes, theropod workers do use "presence of furcula" as a character, but the
point is we don't weight it over other characters to decide relationships.
Are there even any theropods left that had unfused clavicles (and therefore
make this character worthwhile)?
Coelophysis(?), Syntarsus kayentakatae, Segisaurus, Suchomimus,
carcharodontosaurids, Allosaurus, tyrannosaurids, Beipiaosaurus,
Neimongosaurus, oviraptorids, Velociraptor, Bambiraptor, Sinornithosaurus,
Microraptor and birds have them.  The condition in Carnotaurus,
Sinornithoides, Protarchaeopteryx and Caudipteryx is unknown, despite the
partial preservation of clavicles.  A good case could be made for
Sinosauropteryx and ornithomimosaurs having unossified furculae, but besides
that....

> > Ok, this brings up something I've been wanting to ask. IS there another
> > group of animals that have such a wide diversity of teeth? I.e. spade
like
> > teeth to pencil like teeth.
>
> Pterosauria? Pterodactyloidea? Proboscidea?<<
> Took me a few minutes with the pterosauria. For those of you out there
that
> don't get it, I think he's referring to Eudimorphodon which has two types
of
> teeth in the lower jaw that looks some Tanystropheous specimens. I don't
> know Proboscidea so I can't say anything about it.

I think what David's referring to in the Pterodactyloidea is the great
disparity between say, Pterodaustro's pseudo-baleen, the blunt teeth of
dsungaripterids, the fangs of Cearadactylus and the plesiomorphic teeth of
Pterodactylus.  Certainly greater variation than you'd find in the
Titanosauria.

Mickey Mortimer