Re: Earliest known Dromaeosaurid?

["T. Mike Keesey" <tmk@dinosauricon.com>]

On Sun, 19 Nov 2000, Mickey_Mortimer wrote:

> Caleb Lewis wrote-
> 
> What is the earliest known Dromaeosaurid? D. Antirrhopus?
> 
> Undescribed forms known from teeth found in the Early Jurassic Hanson
> Formation of Antarctica (Ford, this list), the Bathonian of Russia
> (Novikov 1998) and England (Benton 1993), the early Kimmeridgian
> Portugal (Zinke 1998) and the Kimmeridgian-Tithonian Morrison
> Formation of Utah and Colorado (Britt 1991; Chure, Madsen and Britt
> 1993).  The earliest named dromaeosaurid is Nuthetes destructor from
> the Berriasian of England.

It's important to distinguish between deinonychosaur (_Deinonychus_ <--
Neornithes) and dromaeosaurid (_Dromaeosaurus_ + _Velociraptor_). I
believe all of the forms listed above are potential Deinonychosauria, but
probably not Dromaeosauridae proper. Correct me if I am wrong.

_Deinonychus_ is indeed the earliest definite dromaeosaurid, although
_Utahraptor_ occurs slightly earlier and may very well be a dromaeosaurid.

_____________________________________________________________________________
T. MICHAEL KEESEY
 Home Page               <http://dinosauricon.com/keesey>
  The Dinosauricon        <http://dinosauricon.com>
   personal                <keesey@bigfoot.com> --> <tmk@dinosauricon.com>
    work, binary files      <mkeesey@dcentgroup.com>
     Dinosauricon-related    <dinosaur@dinosauricon.com>
      AOL Instant Messenger   <Ric Blayze>
       ICQ                     <77314901>
        Yahoo! Messenger        <Mighty Odinn>