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CAUDIPTERYX - AN OVIRAPTOROSAUR?



I have just gotten the National Geographic with the Caudipteryx photos.  Some
features that I have been able to make out have made me wonder if this thing
is an oviraptorosaur.

The photos, like all the recent pop-science photos of the Yixian dinos, are
absolute crap.  There are some details though that are very interesting.  The
illia and ischia are very reminiscent of those observed in Ingenia and
Oviraptor.  The ischium however, is also similar to that in the new
dromaeosaur described by Norrell and Mackovicky (or was it Mackovicky and
Norrell?).

The head is short and tall and appears mostly toothless.  The manus is not
derived in the manner of Compsognathids (short MCI1, large ungual claw),
Ornitholestids (short MCI1), or Ornithomimids (long MCI1).  The pes is not
arctometatarsalian either.

This thing is really neat :-)  Does anyone have any idea what time of the day
this press conference is going to be tomorrow and how much media attention it
may or may not get?

Peter Buchholz
Tetanurae@aol.com

"That's not how it happened dumbass: Kenny just dies eight hours ago, how
could he have died then too?"
"Oh, you're right, that doesn't make sense."