Re: Coelurosaur Phylogeny

["T. Michael Keesey" <mightyodinn@yahoo.com>]

--- Ivan Kwan <dino_rampage@hotmail.com> wrote:
> HELP!!! I've been seriously confused by the recent state of coelurosaur 
> systematics.

Understandable! :)
 
> I've always thought that critters like Deltadromeus, Ornitholestes & 
> Compsognathus were considered basal coelurosaurs.

_Deltadromeus_ actually turns out to be ceratosaurian(!)
The other two are basal coelurosaurs, possibly very basal maniraptors.

> Next in line were the 
> Maniraptoriformes, consisting of tyrannosaurs, ornithomimosaurs & true 
> maniraptors.

Tyrannosauroids may be maniraptoriforms, but I think more researchers are
finding them to be just outside nowadays.

> Within the maniraptors, therizinosaurs & oviraptorosaurs formed 
> a clade of their own, troodonts were part of deinonychosauria (which formed 
> the Eumaniraptora along with the Avialae) And alvarezsaurs were just a weird 
> bunch of maniraptors nobody knew where to place.

Exactly right!
(Well, Sereno doesn't think alvarezsaurids are maniraptors; he places them as
the sister group to ornithomimosaurs.)

=====
=====> T. Michael Keesey <keesey@bigfoot.com>
=====> The Dinosauricon <http://dinosauricon.com>
=====> BloodySteak <http://bloodysteak.com>
=====> Instant Messenger <Ric Blayze>
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