JVP - Doswellia - Dilkes and Sues 2009

[David Peters <davidpeters@att.net>]

Dilkes and Sues 2009 placed Doswellia as the sister taxon to  
Proterochampsidae - at best. Unfortunate that tradition was followed  
in their study, rather than rigorous testing of all possibilities.   
Missing from their inclusion list: a number of choristoderes,  
Cerritosaurus and various Youngina and Younginoides, many with a  
similarly flattened skull.

For outgroups. Mesosuchus shares little with Prolacerta, except the  
postparietals absent (12)  postaxial cervical intercentra absent  
(45), similar central ratios between cervicals and dorsals (47), all  
this according to Dilkes and Sues. So really,  not much. Prolacerta  
remains a good choice for outgroup, but not Mesosuchus.

Too bad we don't know which proterochampsid was used in analysis,  
whether Proterochampsa, Chanaresuchus, Tropidosuchus or Lagerpeton. I  
really have come to hate the use of suprageneric taxa. It's such a  
cop-out.

Also, I note they report: "Data for [a large number of included taxa]  
were obtained primarily from the literature." From what I've heard  
from referees, that's been outlawed.

Otherwise, well written paper, great illustrations, marred only by  
inappropriate taxon inclusion and exclusion in analysis.

Best regards,

David Peters
davidpeters@att.net