> [...] Mammaliaformes (anchored in
_Sinoconodon_)
No, on *Morganucodon*, which is (at least) one node closer to the crown.This makes Mammali"a"formes part of Mammalia sensu... whoever authored the latest definition.
I'm told most people in the field do use the crown-group definition now. Reminds me of what happened to Crocodylia.
Attaching the name Aves to the clade that includes _Archaeopteryx_ and modern birds (rather than to just the crown group) is certainly arbitrary; but I think this is a good thing.
I agree that old Archie is a lousy specifier. I need to write up and publish my definition sometime... at long last...