At 03:42 PM 11/10/01 +1000, John Penhallurick wrote:
R eKim Sterelny's post. I think that the sequencing of certain genes in
nuclear DNA has indicated that birds are not descended directly from
dinosaurs but rather that birds and dinosaurs share a common ancestor.
John Penhallurick
Considering that there are no living dinosaurs (except birds) I wonder how
DNA evidence could possibly show this? The closest living relatives to
birds that could supply DNA samples are crocodilians.
The morphological evidence has certainly convinced all but a small minority
of palaeontologists (including, most notably, Larry Martin and Alan
Feduccia) that birds are not just descended from dinosaurs but specifically
from the group known as Maniraproria that includes Velociraptor and
Oviraptor. The discovery of fossils like Caudipteryx, which has been
identified by some as a basal oviraptoriform with well-developed feathers,
has greatly bolstered this argument.
--
Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886
International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116
1825 Shady Creek Court
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2
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