Re: More stuff on early maniraptoriforms

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/12/98 9:43:04 AM EST, th81@umail.umd.edu writes:

<< (I think it is very funny that the case of the alvarezsaurids, which
fulfill
 a post-Archaeopteryx BCF prediction entirely (they are flightless forms
 which are not at first glance avian, but which seem to be descendants of
 feathered fliers), are ignored by some of that hypothesis' main proponents).
>>

Who might these "main proponents" be?

My only problem with alvarezsaurids is that I'm still not convinced that
_Mononykus_ and such are closely related to _Alvarezsaurus_, to the point of
being in the same family. There may have been a lot of convergence going on
that hasn't been accounted for. Maybe all that's required is a closer reread
of the relevant papers. Other than that, both _M_ (and _Shuvuuia_) and _A_ are
so clearly secondarily flightless that it's no longer worth commenting on.