Re: Prosauropods

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 8/1/02 7:47:29 PM EST, qilongia@yahoo.com writes:

<< --+--Saturnalia
   `--+--Thecodontosaurus
      `--+--Anchisaurus
         `--+--Plateosauria
            `--+--Melanorosauridae (limited)
               |--Blikanasaurus
               `--Sauropoda >>

Still don't see how sauropods could reevolve a two-phalanx fifth pedal digit, 
which is vestigial (one phalanx) or lost (zero phalanges) in all known 
prosauropods. Unless of course the fifth digit is lost repeatedly and 
independently in each separate prosauropod lineage in this cladogram, and 
also in ornithischians and in theropods.

More interesting is to consider the possibility that sauropods are basal to 
all other dinosaurs, that prosauropods and ornithischians are sister groups, 
and that theropods are a sister group to the prosauropod+ornithischian group. 
This is what the feet say, anyway.