Questions

[Steven Mahon <floridamahon@yahoo.com>]

Hello,

I have gathered information & have found over 200
characters I could use.

My taxa are the following:
Allosaurus (outgroup), Compsognathus, Ornitholestes,
Sinosauropteryx, Coelurus, Tyrannosaurus,
Albertosaurus, Eotyrannus, Pelecanimimus,
Ornithomimus, Alvarezsaurus, Mononykus, Oviraptor,
Caudipteryx, Khaan, Avimimus, Therizinosaurus,
Alxasaurus, Beiaposaurus, Sinovenator,
Saurornithoides, Troodon, Deinonychus, Velociraptor,
Archaeopteryx, Confuciousornis, Chirostenotes,
Elmisaurus, Sinornithosaurus, & Passer.

I still have a few questions (w/ more coming):

1.secondary palate formed from premaxilla & maxilla.
Is that Ornithomimosaurian or Ornithimimid?
2.ulna bowed posteriorly. Maniraptoran or
Maniraptoriformes?
3.does Troodontidae havethe Eumaniraptoran characters
from my previous thread?
4.are the Alvarezsaurid-Archaeopteryx characters (from
the previous thread) found in any of the forms above?
5.Does Sinornithosaurus have the Dromaeosaurid
characters?
6.nasal anteroventral process absent in Troodontids &
any of the birds listed above?
7.Ornitholestes has cervical epipophyses not
overhanging the postzygapophyses & posterior dorsal
neural spines lower than long?
8.quadrate slopes anteroventrally, lower jaw is offset
antreriorly & articulates below the orbit in what
Ornithomimosaurians?
9.All taxa (minus Allo.) have the following: *expanded
circular orbit*ischium short, 2/3 or less length of
pubis*loss of ischial foot*triangular obturator
process on ischium*ascending process of astragulus
greater than 1/4 length of tibia-astragulus*15 or less
caudals w/ transverse processes*6 sacral
vertebrae*extensive stiffening of tail*reduced femoral
4th trochanter*, or if unknown in any taxa above.
10.any basal taxa above (Tyrannosaurs, Coelurus,
Ornitholestes, Compsognathids) that have the
following:*seperate exit for the cranial nerve
V*articulars & quadrates pneumatized*3rd antorbital
fenestra*elongated anterior cervical
zygapophyses*obturator process on ischium is
distal*ischium ends in point*length of forelimb 75% of
presacral spine*ulna bowed posteriorly*semilunate
carpal, which permits the hand to flex both laterally
& dorsoventrally*thin, bowed metacarpal III*, or if
unknown in any above taxa.

The reason why I want to know if characters are
unknown in any genera, is because, I dont want to end
up coding it as yes or no, when it isnt known.

         Thanks Again, 
             Steven Mahon


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