Sereno et al.'s ceratosaurian analysis

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

The analysis for Sereno et al. (2004) is available online, and I ran their
matrix in PAUP to find out a few things.  First, here's the complete
topology (302 mpt's with all taxa included, CI- .85)-
|--Eoraptor
`--+--Herrerasaurus
   `--+--+--Dilophosaurus
      |  `--+--Liliensternus
      |     `--+--Coelophysis
      |        |--"Syntarsus"
      |        `--+--Procompsognathus
      |           `--Segisaurus
      `--+--+--Elaphrosaurus
         |  `--+--Ceratosaurus
         |     `--+--Spinostrpheus
         |        `--+--+--Deltadromeus
         |           |  `--+--Masiakasaurus
         |           |     `--Noasaurus
         |           `--+--Rugops
         |              `--+--Abelisaurus
         |                 `--+--Rajasaurus
         |                    `--+--Majungatholus
         |                       `--Carnotaurus
         `--+--Spinosauroidea
            `--Neotetanurae
Note Laevisuchus and the undescribed Gadoufaoua noasaurid are not included
in the matrix, despite being in their figure.  Genusaurus can be placed
anywhere more derived than Ceratosaurus, while Ilokelesia can go anywhere
inside Abelisauridae.  The consistancy index of .85 isn't bad, not without
bias, but better than the .98 I was expecting. :-)

For those of you wondering, Deltadromeus is a ceratosaur based on-
Humeral deltopectoral crest, size (measured from the anterior margin of
midshaft): less than anteroposterior shaft diameter at midshaft.
Humeral shaft axis, form: straight.
Humeral distal condyles, form: nearly flat.
Fibular fossa, form: crescentic, invaginated anteriorly, opens
posteromedially.
Though it reverses "Tibial cnemial crest, lateral fossa: present.", which is
also a synapomorphy at this node.
It's more derived than Elaphrosaurus based on-
Tibial cnemial crest, width (lateral view): expands distally, or more than
50% of proximal end, distally (cnemial crest measured from anterior margin
of shaft).
It's an abelisauroid based on-
Humeral head, shape and size: subspherical, approximately 70% or more of
maximum width of the proximal end.
Humeral lateral tuberosity, position: distal to medial tuberosity.
And noasaurid based on-
Metatarsal IV, width of distal condyles: less than 50% width of distal
condyles of metatarsal II.

Would be interesting to see where Pycnonemosaurus, Chuandongocoelurus,
Aucasaurus and others came out.  And apparently Sereno's still in the field,
but will be back soon, hopefully to answer my questions.

Mickey Mortimer