Re: Doswellia

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

David Marjanovic wrote:

> > What of the palatine teeth in Eoraptor?
>
> Wow, didn't know it had any. -- No idea. The palatine is supposed to have 
> lost its teeth before the pterygoid (e. g. *Proterochampsa* lacks palatine 
> teeth).

Loss of teeth on the palatine and vomer is given by Benton (2004; Dinosauria 
II volume) as diagnostic for crown-group Archosauria (Benton's Avesuchia).  
So it is unusual for palatine teeth to be retained in a dinosaur (or 
dinosauriform).

The cladistic analysis of Benton and Clark (1988) recovered _Doswellia_ as 
the next outgroup above Proterochampsidae, though this position was weakly 
supported.

Cheers

Tim