Re: New paper on pre-Archaeopteryx coelurosaurian dinosaurs

[Jason Brougham <jaseb@amnh.org>]

Good points, Dr. Holtz and Mr. Haaramo. But the new Xu et al. paper does not 
include the Maryanska et al. paper from 2002 as a reference. 

Instead it states that the oviraptorosaurs share a number of derived cranial 
features with basal birds, but it does not list the features. Later it 
describes a monophyletic group that includes "the scansoriopterygids, all other 
birds besides Archaeopteryx, and probably also the oviraptorosaurs."

It's the word "probably" that makes me wish that Xu et al. had included more 
data with this paper. The possibilities raised here are certainly exciting, but 
the paper presents only a hint of support for the new hypothesis. The few 
characters cited could easily be overwhelmed by the preponderance of other 
characters in a more rigorous analysis.

-Jason


On Oct 27, 2010, at 2:28 AM, Mikko K. Haaramo wrote:

> And apparently everyone has forgotten this?
> 
> Marya´nska, T., Osmólska, H. & Wolsan, M., 2002: Avialan status for 
> Oviraptorosauria.
> –Acta Palaeontologica Polonica: Vol. 47, #1, pp. 97-116
> 
> Cheers!
> 
> --Mikko H.
> 
> -- 
> Mikko K. Haaramo
> 
> Vertebrate paleontologist, M.Sc.
> Department of Geosciences and Geography
> Subdepartment of Geology
> P.O.Box 64 [Gustaf Hällstöminkatu 2a]
> FIN-00014  University of Helsinki
> 
> 
> 
> Quoting "Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@umd.edu>:
> 
>> WRT the new Xu Xing paper:
>> 
>> It is just a review paper. I think what they mean to say by it is that this 
>> hypothesis is not tested HERE. Such an analysis would
>> typically belong in a different kind of paper.
>> 
>> 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, Science & Global Change Program, College Park Scholars
>> http://www.geol.umd.edu/sgc
>> Fax: 301-314-9843
>> 
>> Mailing Address:     Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
>>                      Department of Geology
>>                      Building 237, Room 1117
>>                      University of Maryland
>>                      College Park, MD 20742 USA
>> 
>> 
>> 
> 

Jason Brougham
Senior Principal Preparator
American Museum of Natural History
jaseb@amnh.org
(212) 496 3544