Re: Questions , Questions ,Questions

["Jonathan R. Wagner" <znc14@TTACS.TTU.EDU>]

>  I second Felix here. Current analysis (I don't have the ref) shows
>that Coelophyoidea forms the outgroup to Tetanurae, which includes
>Ceratosaurus at the base of Neoceratosauria (Ceratosaurus +
>Abelisauroidea, I think) and Neotetanurae (Avetheropoda +
>Megalosaurus) or something similar.
        Actually, the recent analysis you sort-of refer to (Holtz 1994) has
coelophysoids and neoceratosaurs forming a clade (Ceratosauria), and
*together* forming the outgroup to Tetanurae (rather than the latter
including _Ceratosaurus_, as you imply). It has been suggested that these
two taxa may not form a clade exclusive of other known theropods, but I
haven't seen it pulished recently in a peer-reviewed journal.
        By the way, by the definition of Tetanurae as I remember it,
whatever clade contains _Ceratosaurus_ will *always* be the sister group to
Tetanurae (they are conjugate stem taxa by Peter B.'s and my terminology).
Put another way, by definition, _Ceratosaurus_ can never be a tetanuran.
        :)
        Wagner

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     Jonathan R. Wagner, Dept. of Geosciences, TTU, Lubbock, TX 79409-1053
 "Only those whose life is short can truly believe that love is forever"-Lorien