Re: Aurornis, new Jurassic avialan dinosaur from China

[Tim Williams <tijawi@gmail.com>]

David Marjanovic <david.marjanovic@gmx.at> wrote:

> Biggest surprise in the paper: *Balaur* is a bird, the sister-group of 
> Avebrevicauda.


It was a surprise to me too.  But no surprise to Andrea Cau, I'm sure.    :-)


Does that mean _Balaur_ was secondarily flightless?  Was it the Hateg
equivalent of a dodo?  (A very scary dodo...)


> *Rahonavis* and *Shenzhouraptor* come out as sister-groups,


That would be Jeholornithidae, I guess.






Cheers

Tim