Apomorphy-based Clades (was Re: Coelurosaur Analysis update...)

[Nick Pharris <npharris@umich.edu>]

Quoting Mickey Mortimer <Mickey_Mortimer111@msn.com>:

> Avialae requires a sensu too, as Avialae sensu Gauthier
> and de Queiroz (2001) is (feathered wings homologous with Vultur gryphus and
> used for powered flight), which would be the Omnivoropterygidae + Aves node
> in my topology.  Assuming neoflightlessness for Caudipteryx, it could
> potentially be much more inclusive.  Hence the crappiness of apomorphy-based
> clades.

Well, hence the crappiness of apomorphy-based clades based on one feature that
rarely preserves (feathers) and one that is unpreservable (used for powered
flight).

Nick Pharris
Department of Linguistics
University of Michigan