SVP abstracts 2017: Megaraptora

Samathi and Chathasit 2017 bring us

new insights into the clade Megaraptora (Fukuiraptor, Zhenyuanlong and kin). These are generally mid-sized heavily feathered, winged, but nonviolent theropods.

From the Samathi and Chathasit abstract:

“Megaraptora is a clade of medium to large-sized theropod dinosaurs with large-clawed, strong pneumatization, and long and gracile legs. The basal member was found from the Barremian of Japan, whereas the more derived clade, the Megaraptoridae, is known from the Cenomanian to Santonian rocks of South America and Australia. Despite many discoveries and studies, the phylogenetic status of this group as derived Allosauroidea, basal Tyrannosauroidea or basal Coelurosauria is still debated. This study shows that the position of Megaraptora in theropod phylogeny is still unclear.” 

Nowhere in the abstract

do Samathi and Chathasit refer megaraptors to the Dromaeosauridae, which was the contention of Lü and Brusatte 2015. The large reptile tree (LRT) nests Zhenyuanlong, Tianyuraptor, Huaviagnathus and Fukuiraptor as basal tyrannosaurs derived from a sister to Ornitholestes.

References

Lü J and Brusatte SL 2015. A large, short-armed, winged dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Early Cretaceous of China and its implications for feather evolution. Scientific Reports 5, 11775; doi: 10.1038/srep11775.
Samathi A and Chanthasit P 2017. Two new basal megaraptora (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the early Cretaceous of Thailand with comment on the phylogenetic position of Siamotyrannus and Datanglong. SVP abstracts 2017.