HINDLIMB-TRUNK RATIOS

[darren.naish@port.ac.uk]

Thanks to Tom for news on...

Jones, T.D., J.O. Farlow, J.A. Ruben, D.M. Henderson & W.J. 
Hillenius. 2000.  Cursoriality in bipedal archosaurs.  Nature 406: 716-
718.

One thing I was hoping to ask at SVP when Ruben unveiled this 
analysis was.... where do alvarezsaurids fit? Reportedly, they have the 
longest hindlimb to trunk length of any theropod that is not 
unambiguously avian. On the plot, I wonder, would they therefore 
group closer to birds than does _Caudipteryx_. If they did (can 
someone please test this:)), then are alvarezsaurids (according to this 
test) birds - Ruben et al. have previously argued that they are not.

Onto something else, have just seen the following...

Salgado, L. 1999. The macroevolution of the Diplodocimorpha 
(Dinosauria; Sauropoda): a developmental model. _Ameghiniana_ 36: 
203-216.

Damn fine stuff. Dicraeosaurids are paedomorphic; diplodocids 
peramorphic. New reconstruction of _Amargasaurus_  and lots of 
other stuff.

(BTW Tom, please respond to my post about the cervicals)

DARREN NAISH 
PALAEOBIOLOGY RESEARCH GROUP
School of Earth, Environmental & Physical Sciences
UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH
Burnaby Building
Burnaby Road                           email: darren.naish@port.ac.uk
Portsmouth UK                          tel: 01703 446718
P01 3QL