Re: semilunate carpal

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 8/8/01 4:20:09 PM EST, twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com writes:

<< We are not talking about *all* the known early theropods - just the ones 
 that seem closest to the origin of birds.  And there are quite a number of 
 small maniraptorans in close phylogenetic and temporal proximity to 
 _Archaeopteryx_.  (_Microraptor_, _Sinornithosaurus_...). >>

These are all Late Jurassic or younger. I'm talking about Middle to Late 
Triassic, which is where the common ancestor of Coelophysis and birds is to 
be found. This common ancestor was probably small (crow-size), and likely had 
a featherlike covering, pneumaticized skeleton, large (grasping) four-digit 
forelimbs, prehensile feet, and a long, feathered tail. (Gee--does this sound 
like Chatterjee's reconstruction of Protoavis? Purely coincidental?) All 
these features can be directly inferred from known fossils of Coelophysis 
and, say, Archaeopteryx. Does this animal seem more like a bird or more like 
Coelophysis?