Shuvosaurus/Protoavis

[tlford@ix.netcom.com (Tracy Ford)]

You wrote: 
>
>Recently, Chatterjee described an unusual 
>isolated (AFAIK) skull from the Dockum formation as belonging to a 
>very early ornithomimosaur, which he named Shuvosaurus (species?).

Shuvosaurus is most likely a pseudosuchian. It does share cranial 
aspects with Lotosaurus. The toothless jaws, the dentary 'cup', slender 
maxilla, etc.

As far as Protoavis is concerned, well, that's what started BCF...

I've talked to Brian Small about it years ago. He said all the material 
was found in the same small area. I also asked Larry Witmer about it, 
he said even if only 1 item is really from a bird, then there was a 
bird back them. I really believe we have to stop looking at the past 
with our eyes on what birds are like today, and try to look at what 
birds were.

Tracy