RE: Condorraptor and Middle Jurassic Avialans

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Mickey Mortimer wrote:

> Rauhut, 2005. Osteology and relationships of a new theropod dinosaur from
> the Middle Jurassic of Patagonia. Palaeontology. 48(1), 87-110.

> Rauhut originally mentioned this taxon at SVP 2002-
> http://dml.cmnh.org/2002Oct/msg00326.html .  I've previously noted the
> absence of posterior tibial incisions in "Allosaurus" tendagurensis,
> seemingly a tetanurine due to the distally placed fibular crest.  As I note
> in the SVP details page, it may be related.  Rauhut presents no explicit
> phylogeny in the published paper, merely saying Condorraptor is a 
> tetanurine
> more basal than Spinosauroidea and Avetheropoda, in the same grade as
> "Szechuanoraptor" and Xuanhanosaurus.  Pdf's are available.

The study also reminded me just how many ceratosaurs and basal tetanurines 
are in need of new genus names: "Syntarsus" kayentakatae, "Megalosaurus" 
hesperis, "Szechuanosaurus" zigongensis, "Dilophosaurus" sinensis, 
"Poekilopleuron" valesdunensis, maybe "Megalosaurus" cambrensis and 
"Liliensternus" airelensis (if either are valid).  There's also 
"Chilantaisaurus" maortuensis, which belongs higher up in theropod phylogeny 
(the type species for _Chilantaisaurus_ appears to be a basal tetanurine.  I 
know new names are in the pipeline for some of these taxa.  (BTW, this is 
not an open invitation to name these taxa; this is best left to the experts 
- i.e., those who have examined the material, and know what they're doing 
[for the most part].)

Rauhut (2004) also mentions that the theropod identity of the Aussie taxon 
_Ozraptor subatoii_ is disputed (Molnar, pers. comm. to Rauhut).  If so, 
Molnar must have changed his mind since 1998.  Unfortunately, there isn't 
much to go on; just a lonely piece of tibia.


Tim