RE: Epidexipteryx

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

> From: owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu [mailto:owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu] 
> On Behalf Of Tim Williams
>
> 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.
> 
This was an important aspect of Lindsay Zanno's Romer Prize session talk at
SVP, and I have alluded to this before as well. Of course, what we really
need are very basal (Middle Jurassic, for instance) ornithomimosaurs,
therizinosaurs, alvarezsaurs, and oviraptorosaurs to see if these guys
inherited or convergently evolved their non-hypercarnivory.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email: tholtz@umd.edu   Phone: 301-405-4084
Office: Centreville 1216                        
Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
Fax: 301-314-9661               

Faculty Director, Earth, Life & Time Program, College Park Scholars
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite/
Fax: 301-405-0796

Mailing Address:        Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                        Department of Geology
                        Building 237, Room 1117
                        University of Maryland
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