Re: Adasaurus

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

Ekaterina Amalitzkaya wrote-

> Mr.Mortimer's results regarding Archaeornithoides are of great interest. I
> guess the Spinosaur connection can be considered entirely  convergent?

Not necessarily.  I didn't include spinosaurs in my analysis after all, as
they are not very close to birds.  I may do it sometime just to see what
happens though.

> Did your matrix include Cheirostenotes including Sues' new material?

Yes and yes.  It was included in the Caenagnathidae, which grouped with
oviraptorosaurs of course.

> Also the position of Avimimus is exciting what are are the apomopies that
group it
> with the bitds?

First of all, remember this is just a preliminary analysis.  Before I added
pygostylians in, it grouped with oviraptorosaurs and before that, it grouped
with alvarezsaurs.  Avimimus is a very unstable taxon.  Also, I have yet to
use my newly acquired original description of Avimimus or Tom's 1994 paper
to "update" the data matrix.  When the redescription of Avimimus comes out
this year in the Mesozoic birds volume, it will be much easier to place with
certainty.  As for why it groups with birds presently, I wish I knew.  This
is my first experience with PAUP (I used to use PHYLIP) and I'm not sure how
to get a list of what characters define what clade.  If anyone knows, they
are welcome to tell me.

Mickey Mortimer