RE: Introducing: Sinovenator changii

["Williams, Tim" <TiJaWi@agron.iastate.edu>]

Mickey Mortimer wrote:

> > Sadly, also, the _Sinovenator_ specimen does not preserve the
"sickle-claw"
> >on the foot.  Otherwise, the specimen provides very little to complain
> >about.

>Oh, but it does.  

Yep, mea culpa.  I misread the character matrix in the Suppl. Info.
_Sinovenator_ *does* have a "sickle-claw".

>The data matrix codes "Penultimate phalanx of pedal
>digit II highly modified for extreme hyper-extension, ungual more >strongly
curved
>and about 50% larger than that of III" as being present.

Perhaps this should be coded as 2 separate characters.  I thought
_Patagopteryx_ had the modified penultimate phalanx, w/o the enlarged
ungual.  (And, perhaps Archie as well.)


Ken Kinman wrote:

>  It seems to me to be too specialized to be a truly primitive 
>troodont, and it's inclusion therein is probably premature.  

*teeth gritted*   Based.  On.  What.  Evidence.  ?


Tim


------------------------------------------------------------ 

Timothy J. Williams 

USDA-ARS Researcher 
Agronomy Hall 
Iowa State University 
Ames IA 50014 

Phone: 515 294 9233 
Fax:   515 294 3163