Re: So are turtles now crocodiles?

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/15/99 6:50:07 PM EST, jconrad@lib.drury.edu writes:

<< To keep this response slightly on topic at least, I will pose the question
 where birds (and therefore the non-avian dinos as well) fit into this little
 study we're talking about?  I haven't seen the paper, but if turtles are
 crocs' closest living relatives, where are our other archosaurian buddies?
>>

If, as the paper seems to imply, turtles are the sister group of crocs among
extant reptiles, and since archosaurs are all the descendants of the common
ancestor of crocs and birds--which would be more distant than the common
ancestor of crocs and turtles--then turtles would be archosaurs. Who knows?
Maybe turtles are derived aetosaurians--lotsa armor plate there, anyway.