Re: Epidexipteryx

["T. Michael Keesey" <keesey@gmail.com>]

On Thu, Oct 23, 2008 at 7:02 PM, Tim Williams
<twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Definitely.  What's more, there's an impressive array of small (and 
> not-so-small) insectivorous, herbivorous, and omnivorous maniraptorans close 
> to the origin of birds: alvarezsaurs, therizinosaurs, oviraptorosaurs 
> (including _Incisivosaurus_ & _Protarchaeopteryx_), scansoriopterygids, 
> possibly troodontids...  Among non-avian maniraptorans, the hypercarnivorous 
> dromaeosaurids are starting to look like the exception, not the rule.

Or just among maniraptorans in general. Not many avians are
hypercarnivorous, either. And the sister group group of maniraptorans,
_Ornithomimosauria_, was also noncarnivorous, so it's more or less a
maniraptoriform trend.

Never thought of that -- the feathered clade is just a little bit
larger than the multi-dieted clade.

-- 
T. Michael Keesey
Technical Consultant and Developer, Internet Technologies
Glendale, California