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RE: Bayesian analysis for morphological data!!!

David Marjanovic wrote-

I guess the reason is the
unfavorable ratio of taxa (79) to morphological + life history +
chromosomal characters (144). Compare the theropod analysis in The
Dinosauria -- 75 taxa, 638 characters (and a few impressive plesiomorphies
nevertheless). Way to go. -- Besides, the number of 144 characters is IMHO
artificially inflated.

The theropod analysis in The Dinosauria 2nd Ed. isn't the best comparison to make if you're critiquing correlated characters. Take a look at these characters from that analysis, for example-

328. Thoracic column length: much greater than the femur length(0), subequal to the femur length (1).
337. Caudal dorsal vertebrae length: significantly shortened, much shorter than high (0), short, about as high as long or only slightly longer (1), significantly elongate, much longer than high (2). Ordered.
406. Ratio of forelimb (humerus + radius + manus) length to hindlimb (femur + tibia + pes) length: less than 0.5 (0), 0.5?1.2 (1), greater than 1.2 (2). Unordered.
407. Ratio of length of humerus + radius to length of femur: less than 1 (0), greater than or equal to 1 (1).
408. Ratio of forelimb length to presacral vertebral series length: less than 0.75 (0), 0.75?2.0 (1), 2.0 or more (2). Ordered.
409. Ratio of manus length to pes length: much less than 1 (0), greater than 1 (1).
410. Ratio of manus length to ulna length: less than 1.2 (0), equal to or greater than 1.2 (1).
411. Ratio of scapula length to humerus length: less than 1.5 (0), 1.5?2.1 (1), 2.1?2.5 (2), greater than 2.5 (3). Ordered.
412. Ratio of femur length to humerus length: less than 2.5 (0), 2.5?3.5 (1), greater than 3.5 (2). Ordered.
413. Ratio of humerus length to ulna length: greater than 1.0 (0), less than or equal to 1.0 (1).
414. Ratio of ulna length to femur length: greater than 0.27 (0), less than 0.27 (1).
415. Ratio of ulna length to length of metatarsal III: less than 1.0 (0), greater than or equal to 1.0 (1).
416. Ratio of radius length to humerus length: less than 0.75 but greater than 0.5 (0), less than 0.5 (1), greater than 0.75 (2). Unordered.
417. Ratio of manus length to length of humerus + radius: less than 0.66 (0), greater than or equal to 0.66 (1).
456. Metacarpal II length: much less than humeral length (0), about 50% of humeral length or greater (1).

Mickey Mortimer