Re: BIRDY _ARCHAEOPTERYX_

[smithjb@sas.upenn.edu (Joshua Smith)]

John V Jackson wrote:
> >
> ><<...just like the opposing theory!  No-one has evidence for *any* J
> >precursor to Archae apart from a few unusually small teeth which could
> >be anything. Apart from cladistics and historical accident, there is no
> >evidence that the direction of relationship is _Velociraptor_ -> Archae;
> >and time would seem to point the arrow the other way.>>
> >
> >"Could be anything"!  I think that the teeth are described as
> >maniraptoriform in character.  Padian also described some Morrison
> >maniraptorans or maniraptoriforms.
> 
        Yeah, 'cause we have any sort of a handle on the variation within 
"maniraptoriform" dentition...


> >3)  Unserrated, triangular, crocodilian-like teeth.
> 
> How many insectivores are known with serrated teeth?  Only flesh-rippers
> need them (and not all of them: mammals slice, crocs swallow whole or use
> their short necks to twist or just "flip" the prey in two. [Cor did you see
> that program the other day where the croc had a pig in its mouth and just
> flicked its head and the back half of the pig just vanished in the space of
> a couple of frames?!!  But I digress]).
> 
        What about the frutivorous varanid with dentition that is 
virtually identical to the carnivorous forms?  Complete with denticles...



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Josh Smith
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