Re: Pygostyle

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/1/99 10:53:17 PM EST, ornstn@home.com writes:

<< a) If the pygostyle has been retained from a flying ancestor of
 oviraptiorians, why is it missing in basal members of the line like
 Caudipteryx?  Or are you arguing that Caudipteryx is not basal but
 represents a derived loss of the pygostyle, which would have been found in
 genuinely basal members of the group? >>

There is no pygostyle in Patagopteryx, which almost everyone concedes is 
avian. What might you make of this?