Re: Yixian Dating Again

["john maynard" <abyssal_leviathin@hotmail.com>]

>  Note Sinornithosaurus and Microraptor were both
> only eumaniraptorans, and not avialans which I believe them to be.
> Furthermore, I even said that supposed compsognathids are known from the
> Early Cretaceous.

i am confused. are you saying that you believe that sinornithosaurus and 
microraptor were avialans or eumaniraptorans? may be just my reading level 
that caused the confusion...


> Sinosauropteryx is supposedly compsognathid based on (Currie and Chen,
> 2001)-
> 1. large skull
> Plesiomorphic, being seen in tyrannosaurids and allosauroids as well for
> instance.
> 2. unserrated premaxillary teeth
> As in Ornitholestes and plenty of maniraptoriformes
> 3. slender cervical ribs
> A mix of six-relatedness and plesiomorphy, as see in Scipionyx for instance
> (both large taxa are especially maniraptoriformes have robust cervical
> ribs).
> 4. fan-shaped dorsal neural spines
> Not as unique as originally thought, Sinosauropteryx having mostly 
> posterior
> expansions.  Scipionyx also has prominent posterior expansions and
> Ornitholestes has a more weakly developed form.
> 5. short forelimbs (hum+rad/fem+tib <45%)
> Plesiomorphic, as seen in Coelurus, Nqwebasaurus, tyrannosauroids,
> carnosaurs and more basal taxa.
> 6. large olecranon process
> Plesiomorphic, as seen in carnosaurs and tyrannosaurids, though
> Sinosauropteryx's extremely well developed one may be autapomorphic
> (Compsognathus' is much weaker).
> 7. manual phalanx I-1 diameter greater than radius
> True, this could be a compsognathid synapomorphy (rather hard to tell in
> Nqwebasaurus though).
> 8. reduced anterior pubic foot
> Plesiomorphic, as seen in Monolophosaurus, sinraptorids, Coelurus, 
> Scipionyx
> and Nqwebasaurus.
> 9. prominent obturator process
> Poorly defined, many maniraptorans have larger ones, and Sinosauropteryx's
> isn't even triangular.


"supposedly" is a good term. I believe that sinosauropteryx should be put in 
its own family, sinosauropterygidae and in a superfamily with the 
compsognathids.How many fingers did sinosauropteyx have? i have seen it 
illustrated with 2 sometimes, and more often 3. what did it have? was it 
like ostram said compsognathus was and have 2, or is greg s paul right and 
it have 3, i dont have a good pic of the fossils to look at myself. sorry 
for bad grammar and brevity. i had a big paragraph going that somehow got 
erased. now i have to hurry and get done and get my butt out of my local 
public ibrary. but could you please answer my question, and perhaps comment 
on my theory.

                   john maynard
                      aka
                    abyssal_leviathin

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