Re: oviraptors

["Jonathan R. Wagner" <znc14@ttacs1.ttu.edu>]

DinosØMP wrote (that was an impressive flurry of e-mails, Enrique! :) :
>What do ya' think of this:
>Microvenator
>  |
[...]
>                |-Aves.
        I naturally mistrust any tree which shows such a clear progressive
branching of evolutionary steps. What are the odds we'd find such a clean
perfect sequence of sucessively more related taxa?
        I can't resist:
 +----------------------_Mononykus_ (unresolved)
 !
 !    +-----------------Dromaeosauride
 !    !
 +----+      +----------_Alvarezsaurus_
 !    !  +---!
 !    +--+   +----------all them other boyds
 !       !
 !       +--------------_Archaeopteryx_
 !
 !           +----------_Microvenator_
 !       +---+
 !       !   +----------Therizinosauriodea
 !       !
 !-------+--------------_Avimimus_
         !
         !   +----------_"Oviraptor" mongoliensis_
         !   !    
         !   !       +--_Oviraptor_
         +---+---+---+--_Choncoraptor_
             !       +--_Ingenia_
             !
             +----------Caenagnathidae (includes elmi and chiro)

        I am hesitant about relationships within the "segnosauria" +
Oviraptorsauria clade, and this is pretty much an eyeball guess (ie. don't
ask me for supporting characters).
        I looove theropod phylogeny!    :)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Jonathan R. Wagner, Dept. of Geosciences, TTU, Lubbock TX 79409
      "The cost of living hasn't affected its popularity." - Unknown