Re: Cretaceous taeniodont -- long, combined answer

["Mickey Mortimer" <Mickey_Mortimer111@msn.com>]

David Marjanovic wrote-

> Oh, correct. But, given the... probable... position of Falconiformes in
the
> phylogeny of Neoaves, and the phylogenetic positions of the known K
> Neornithes, there is so far no evidence for or against the presence of
> Falconiformes in the K. The presence of Avisauridae, however, is certain.

Why are avisaurids more predatory than other enantiornithines again?  Of
course, Boluochia seems predatory judging by its raptoral beak.

> The oldest known neornithine is the ?anseriform *Apatornis* from the
> Campanian, ~ 80 Ma ago. Means, Neornithes is at least 80 -- 85 Ma old.

Apatornis seems to be a non-neornithine carinate more derived than
Ichthyornis (Clarke, 2002).  It consists of a posterior sacrum, the rest of
the referred material made the type of a new taxon by Clarke.  The latter
taxon isn't neornithine either, but is also more derived than Ichthyornis.

The earliest neornithine seems to be Gallornis (Neocomian), then a Bissekty
tibiotarsus (Coniacian; Nessov, 1992).  Besides these records, there are
many Campanian taxa.

Mickey Mortimer