Observations on clade diversity

• Saurischian genera outnumber ornithischians by five to three (282 to 169)

• Theropods alone outnumber ornithischians!

• This is surprising given that theropods all look the same (“teeth at one end, a tail at the other and a pair of legs sticking down in the middle.”)

• Ornithischians are much more varied in body plan (consider Triceratops, Parasaurolophus and Stegosaurus).

  • => The ornithischian renaissance is overdue!

Notes: