Re: Avian Ancestors, new book on theropods

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

On Thu, February 28, 2013 6:46 pm, Tim Williams wrote:

> I'm not sure the new name Averaptora is essential.  Zhang et al.
> (2008) previously defined Avialae as the most inclusive clade
> including crown birds but not dromaeosaurids (specified by
> _Deinonychus_).  So their Avialae is equivalent in content to Agnolin
> and Novas' new clade Averaptora.

Ummm... GAUTHIER (1986, p. 36) defined it in this manner (Aves and all
taxa closer to Aves than to Deinonychosauria).

He may have subsequently redefined it a number of times, but the original
version is a branch-based defintion with Aves and Deinonychosauria as
specifiers.

> Personally, I like Martyniuk's (2012)
> proposed new clade Ornithes for the _Archaeopteryx_ + crown bird
> clade, although I doubt it will catch on.
>
I do, too.


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
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