Chatterjee's view (was Re: Protoavis?)

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <th81@umail.umd.edu>]

At 06:39 PM 10/17/97 -0700, S. Friesen wrote:
>At 10:41 AM 10/16/97 -0500, Jonathan R. Wagner wrote:
>> I have not read the origional _Protoavis_ article
>>completely (no time), but I know for a fact that Chatterjee currently
>>believes that _Protoavis_ *is* a theropod. Period.
>
>I have read *most* of the original article.
>
>He may not have *quite* proposed a crocodilian relationship for _Protoavis_
>(and thus for birds), but the paper most certainly strongly implied that.

I suggest you reread the specific papers on _Protoavis_.  Except for the
timing, Chatterjee has a very conventional view of bird origins (among the
maniraptoran coelurosaurs), despite the fact that his most vocal
"supporters" are also the most vocal opponents of just such an origin!

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Vertebrate Paleontologist     Webpage: http://www.geol.umd.edu
Dept. of Geology              Email:th81@umail.umd.edu
University of Maryland        Phone:301-405-4084
College Park, MD  20742       Fax:  301-314-9661