RE: Caenagnathiformes

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

Dear All,
     I agree that the loss of a primitive semilunate carpal block in 
ornithomimes is probably secondary.  However, there is no evidence at all 
that their ancestors ever had a "true" semilunate.  We need some rigor in 
our definitions and discussions of "true" semi-lunates and their primitive 
precursors.  We can certainly look at the possibility that the true 
semi-lunate evolved twice, but the overall evidence convinces me that it 
only happened once.  I would certainly be interested in any evidence that it 
did happen twice.
    As for what oviraptors really ate, there is a long list of 
possibilities.  I am not saying they *never* ate eggs, but in my opinion 
eggs were most likely not a staple of their diet.  My jaws are capable of 
cracking a chicken's egg, but I rarely eat eggs.  :-)
    I think the term "caenagnathiform", meaning something like "having the 
form of a recent (bird's) jaw" is very appropriate, in spite of Cracraft's 
original misunderstanding.  It is certainly far more appropriate than 
oviraptorosaur, as eggs may have rarely been part of their diet.  We simply 
don't know what they ate, but we do know that they possessed jaws that are 
very much like recent bird jaws in form.  I just now look at it as two 
branches of birds developing a similar jaw in parallel.  My advice to 
phylocoders is to steer clear of "oviraptoroxxxxxx" types names 
(oviraptoroidea, oviraptorosauria, etc.).
             ------   Ken Kinman

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