RE: "Yale settles debate: Tyrannosaurs or oviraptors closer to birds?"

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>]

> From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
> Brad McFeeters
>
>
> "Now we know that T. rex is closer to living birds than oviraptor and had
> feathers," Gauthier said.
>
> I didn't know that!  Does anyone on the list know what Gauthier
> is talking
> about?

You are assuming, of course, that the report is an actual quote: a BIG
assumption in reporting, even when quote marks are present!

I would bet fairly good yen that Jacques ACTUALLY mentioned Velociraptor
here, since the previous sentence mentioned maniraptors, and that it got
transcribed as the much more wonderful..., er, famous theropod.

Must go now, fingers freezing.  (Heat has been off in office).

                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                Vertebrate Paleontologist
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
                College Park, MD  20742
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/tholtz.htm
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite
Phone:  301-405-4084    Email:  tholtz@geol.umd.edu
Fax (Geol):  301-314-9661       Fax (CPS-ELT): 301-405-0796