Boy, everyone writes back quick.
Just one question from last time:
>>4. Is there a dinosaur or non-dinosaur (yes, I know that non-dinosaur is such a broad >>term but it is effective) called Talluscoatum? I read about it somewhere and I can't find >>anymore information about it.
Below is my rather early and tenative classification of Maniraptora (Passer + Enigmosaurus) that includes tyrannosaurs. Yes, I know it needs work and probably should be revised, but I thought I would get opinions on it.
--Maniraptora
|--"Enigmosauria" Keesey, unofficial
| |--Oviraptorosauria
| | |?-Caudipteryx
| | `--+--Avimimidae
| | `--Oviraptoroidea
| | |--Elmisauridae
| | | `--+--Microvenator
| | | `--(others)
| | `--Oviraptoridae (sensu J.A. Headden, DML)
| `--Therizinosauria
| |?-Beipiaosaurus
| `--Therizinosauroidea
| |?-Alxasaurus
| `--Therizinosauridae
| |?-Nothronychus
| |--Segnosaurinae (?=Enigmosaurinae)
| | |--Enigmosaurus
| | |--Erlikosaurus
| | `--Segnosaurus
| `--Therizinosaurinae
| |--Nanshiungosaurus
| `--Therizinosaurus
`--Eumaniraptora
|--+--Aves ==(1)
| | |?-Alvarezsauridae
| | `---->Pygostylia
| `--Dromaeosauroidea (implied Matthew & Brown, 1922)
| |--Archaeopterygidae
| | |--Archaeopteryx
| | `--Rahonavinae
| | |--Rahonavis
| | `?-Vorona
| `---->Dromaeosauridae
`--+==(2)
|?-Ornitholestidae + Coelurus
`---->Tyrannosauroidea
1) hyperextendable toe lost after dromey/bird split
2) hyperextendable toe secondarily reduced and (?)lost in tyrannosaurs; L-shaped cannon bone of the foot; and the T-shaped bone of the jugal region (I can't remember what the specific bone is called but it was used to unite the tyrannosaurs with the ornitholestians and the allosaurs)
As I said above it is very tenative and is in need of revision. The Ornitholestes + Tyrannosauroidea clade may need to include the ornithomimosaurs but that would mean the ornithomimes lost their semi-lunate carpals secondarily. Perhaps the ornithomimes
re-expanded their carpals to brace the manus. That would be important if they were using their hands as rakes and/or defensive weapons.
Nicholas Gardner
n_gardner637@hotmail.com
The Dinosaur Homepage
http://dinosaurhomepage.homestead.com/