Re:

["Ahmed al-Mahasa Sha'ad" <am_shaad@hotmail.com>]

Dinogeorge writes...

> Why is it that any fossil that doesn't fit the cladogram/theory of the day 
> is
> called a chimera? Not to say Archaeoraptor is or isn't one, just that this
> particular excuse is getting a little overworked (Protoavis, Avimimus,
> Rahonavis, etc.).

Yes that is correct for non-theropods too eg.

Tsintaosaurus - hadrosaurine +lambeosaurine according to Weishampel and 
Horner (1990)

Dyslocosaurus - sauropod + non-sauropod (?theropod) according to Wilson and 
Sereno (1998)

Perhaps they are just weird?  But you know sometimes dinosaurs do not fit 
into cladograms becuase they are really chimeras - like the Teratosauridae.

I think Rahonavis and Avimimus are real but Protoavis is probably chimera.




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