Re: Even more last papers for 2005

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

The Abstracts are as follows:

Senter, P. (2005).  Phylogenetic taxonomy and the names of the major 
archosaurian (Reptilia) clades .  PaleoBios 25: 1-7.

Abstract: "Much disagreement exists as to what names to apply to the major 
clades of the reptilian taxon Archosauria.  Even among practitioners of 
phylogenetic taxonomy, there has been a tendency to apply the principles of 
phylogenetic taxonomy to the naming of some archosaurian clades while 
resisting the principles of phylogenetic taxonomy for other clades.  Here, 
the principles of phylogenetic taxonomy are applied to the major clades of 
Archosauria, and the correct names for these clades within the paradigm of 
phylogenetic taxonomy are delineated.  Within this paradigm, the names of 
the major archosaurian clades are as follows.  Archosauria: the most 
exclusive clade containing Crocodylia and Aves.  Archosauriformes: the most 
exclusive clade containing _Proterosuchus_ and Archosauria.  Pseudosuchia: 
the most inclusive clade within Archosauria that includes Crocodylia but not 
Aves.  Crurotarsi: the most exclusive clade containing Parasuchia, 
Ornithosuchidae, _Prestosuchus_, and Suchia.  Ornithosuchia: the most 
inclusive clade within Archosauria that includes Aves but not Crocodylia.  
Ornithodira: the most exclusive clade containing Pterosauria, 
_Scleromochlus_ and Dinosauromorpha.  Avialae: the most inclusive clade 
containing ornithuran birds but not deinonychosaurian theropods.  Aves: the 
most exclusive clade containing _Archaeopteryx_ and extant birds.  
Neornithes: the most exclusive and extant birds. [sic]"

I have to say I'm a little underwhelmed by some of these definitions.  I 
especially hate the definition of Pseudosuchia.  I think Sereno is dead 
right when he threw Pseudosuchia on the dung heap.  Worst of all, 
Pseudosuchia is defined by Senter to include crocodylians.  So, let me get 
this straight... Pseudosuchia, which means "false crocodiles", now includes 
crocodiles.  Terrific.


Senter, P. and Parrish, J.M. (2005).  Functional analysis of the hands of 
the theropod dinosaur _Chirostenotes pergracilis_: evidence for an unusual 
paleoecological role.  PaleoBios 25: 9-19.

Abstract: "We report the first functional study of the forelimbs of an 
oviraptorosaurian dinosaur.  The diet of these typically toothless dinosaurs 
has long been a mystery.  The hands of the Late Cretaceous North American 
oviraptorosaur _Chirostenotes pergracilis_ exhibit a greatly elongated 
second digit with an unusually straight ungual, the functional significance 
of which has not previously been explored.  Direct manipulation of the 
manual skeleton of _C. pergracilis_ and comparison with other theropods 
reveals that the range of motion in its hands is not greatly modified from 
the plesiomorphic maniraptoran condition.  From this we infer that the 
significance of the modified second finger of _Chirostenotes_ is unrelated 
to functions that would have required a change in manual range of motion and 
is instead related to some function requiring one finger to be much longer 
than the others.  Comparison with the anatomical requirements for a variety 
of manual functions shows that the modification of digit II in 
_Chirostenotes_ possibly is related to the probing of crevices to apprehend 
prey.  Such prey would have to be soft-bodied enough to impale and extract, 
small enough to extract with one claw, and large and/or abundant enough to 
sustain a predator with a manual modification that suggests specialization 
for said prey.  The morphology of and range of motion in the hand of 
_Chirostenotes_ are also compatible with a hooking function but not with 
digging or one-handed prehension."

This last sentence, especially the lack of "one-handed prehension", reminds 
me of Gishlick's biomechanical work on _Deinonychus_.

Cheers

Tim


> From: Jay <sappororaptor@yahoo.com>
> Reply-To: sappororaptor@yahoo.com
> To: DML <dinosaur@usc.edu>
> Subject: Re: Even more last papers for 2005
> Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 02:35:26 -0800 (PST)
>
> And more (if these have not yet mentioned):
>
> PaleoBios CURRENT ISSUE
> 25(3), December 23, 2005
>
> SENTER, P. Phylogenetic taxonomy and the names of the major archosaurian 
> (Reptilia) clades.
> PaleoBios, v. 25, n. 2, p. 1-7.
>
> SENTER, P. and PARRISH, J.M. Functional analysis of the hands of the 
> theropod dinosaur
> Chirostenotes pergracilis: evidence for an unusual paleoecological role. 
> PaleoBios, v. 25, n. 2,
> p. 9-19.