Re: diagnostic characters in dino skeletons

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 97-08-05 08:41:49 EDT, th81@umail.umd.edu (Thomas R.
Holtz, Jr.) writes:

<< So, the pattern does not hold within the non-avian dinosaurs, although it
is
 pretty strong within a few important, speciose taxa. >>

Suppose you were told that a certain drawer held the only known specimen
belonging to a new dinosaur taxon of uncertain affinities and that it was
your job to diagnose the taxon. Given only these two alternatives, and
without knowing anything elsein advance about the specimen, which would you
rather the drawer held: (1) a nice, reasonably complete skull, or (2) a nice,
reasonably complete but thoroughly headless postcranial skeleton?