Re: Falcarius utahensis (was RE: Newfound Dinosaur a Transitional Creature)

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

> Not to mention that the sister group to _Maniraptora_, _Ornithomimosauria_, 
> seems to have been omnivorous or even herbivorous. Perhaps omnivory could 
> be the basal state for
> _Maniraptoriformes_, with dromaeosaurids (as well as tyrannosauroids, if 
> they are maniraptoriforms) exhibiting a reversal to carnivory?

I espoused a similar idea last year...

http://dml.cmnh.org/2004Aug/msg00280.html

> At the least, maniraptoriforms appear to exhibit far more diversity in diet 
> than any other theropod clade, and perhaps more than any other dinosaur 
> clade.

Especially if birds are considered.  :-)

> So does _F. utahensis_ strengthen the case for _Oviraptorosauria_ and
> _Therizinosauria_ as sister groups?

Yes, an Oviraptorosauria-Therizinosauria clade is recovered.  Now all we 
need is for this clade to be *officially* named and defined.



Tim