Re: T-Tip

["Mickey Mortimer" <mickey_mortimer@email.msn.com>]

Thomas Diehl wrote-

>But anyway, I'm not christian so I can tell you the following: I just put a
new
>theory about the evolution of the tyrannosaurids onto my site. I think,
that
>Compsognathus bauri was the earliest tyrannosaurid.

George Olshevsky also believed this at one point (still does?).  One major
objection to your evidence is that Compsognathus probably had three fingers,
like it's close relative Sinosauropteryx.  Then again, both compsognathids
and tyrannosaurs are very close to each other according to my most recent
study, so it's always a possibility.  I just see no evidence for them to be
in the same group (above Coelurosauria) at this point.

>More about that about this (and Baryonyx as water-living dinosaur) at the
URL:
>http://www.geocities.com/diehlosaurus_rex/paleo/main.html.

Unique idea, but most of baryonychines' anatomy is very similar to other
large theropods and not adapted to aquatic life.  Although they did eat fish
and had heads specialized for this, the body resembles Allosaurus or
Megalosaurus in most ways and is different from the flattened, short-legged
crocodiles.  I also believe that recent studies show the arms were too short
to be used while walking.

Mickey Mortimer