RE: Aves and Mononykus

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>]

> From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
> Timothy Williams
>
> I wonder - do these analyses examine the relationships _within_ the
> Alvarezsauridae?  I remember hearing a few informal comments over whether
> _Alvarezsaurus_ and the mononykines (_Mononykus_, _Shuvuuia_,
> _Parvicursor_)
> really comprise a monophyletic group.  The analyses given in the
> proceedings
> of the Gondwana Symposium do support a monophyletic
> Alvarezsauridae, but do
> other analyses come to the same conclusion?

The Nature _Shuvuuia_ paper also examines in-group relationships in
Alvarezsauridae, and finds much the same result: _Alvarezsaurus_ +
(_Patagonykus_ + (_Mononykus_ + _Shuvuuia_ + _Parvicursor_)).

I know of at least two more studies of in-group analyses of alvarezsaurids
that are in press: will have to wait until they are out to talk about their
results.

                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                Vertebrate Paleontologist
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
                College Park, MD  20742
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/tholtz.htm
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite
Phone:  301-405-4084    Email:  tholtz@geol.umd.edu
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