CHAOYANGIA & LISSAMPHIBIA

[darren.naish@port.ac.uk]

Some of you seem to have taken the inferred position of _Chaoyangia_ 
out of context. At the moment, the data (as summarised by Matt) best 
supports _Chaoyangia_ as a basal ornithurine. Paul Davis' new 
(unpublished) cladogram did not put this taxon within a monophyletic 
Enantiornithes. 

I could argue further, but seeing as Paul has yet to publish I don't 
think that would be fair.

Also, on lissamphibians, Matt Troutman wrote..

> I have read recently on the web that Lauren and Reisz are coming out 
> (or already have?) with an idea that the closest group to 
> lissamphibians are the lepospondyls (micorosaurs, lysorophids, etc.; 
> monophyly has been questioned for this group).  Their supporting 
> evidence is pretty strong from what I have read.  Has this been 
> published yet?  And if so, how could I have missed it?

Laurin and Reisz are presently arguing for a monophyletic Amphibia 
that, indeed, includes lissamphibians and lepospondyls. It has been 
published as an abstract at least (_JVP_ 17 (3): 59A), and Reisz also 
had a review article on tetrapod origins and early evolution in 
_TREE_ not so long back. Adam Yates also has interesting stuff to 
say on lepospondyl monophyly... unpublished as of now I believe.

"Every girl knows about the punctual blues"
 - - Bush, c. 1978.

DARREN NAISH
darren.naish@port.ac.uk