Re: Longisquama

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 8/15/99 9:18:16 PM EST, mbonnan@hotmail.com writes:

<< I will argue that the Maniraptoran-bird hypothesis is much better 
supported at present than the Longi. hypothesis based on the evidence 
available. >>

Perhaps you missed my point. Longisquama would be close to the common 
ancestry of >all theropods and birds<, including maniraptorans of course, and 
closer to theropods/birds than are, say, sauropods (which have neither 
feathers nor furcula as far as we know). But Longisquama is still a far more 
distant relative of modern birds than are "nonavian maniraptoran theropods." 
I wouldn't under any circumstances place Longisquama nearer to avialan birds 
or ornithurine birds than are maniraptorans!