The Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Creationism (2018)

alvarezsauroids, which are distinguished from “basal coelurosaurs” + tyrannosauroids + outgroup taxa (Fig. 39). Similarly, PC 3 draws out oviraptorosaurs and therizinosaurs (top) from the rest of the taxa, but PC 3 does not seem to distinguish between non-avialan paravians, non-avian avialans, and avians. Analysis of the same dataset using only the taxa with more complete data yields a different spatial geometry. PCA on taxa with 50% or more complete character data resulted in a Y-shaped ordination, with two distinct morphospatial series (Fig. 40). “Basal” avialans, dromaeosaurids, and troodontids are located at the root of the bifurcation and share some spatial overlap on PC 1 and PC 3 (Fig. 41). Dromaeosaurids are distinct from “basal” avialans and troodontids on PC 2, but “basal” avialans and troodontids are not. One series above the junction included a sequential series from oviraptorosaurs, “basal” coelurosaurs + tyrannosauroids + outgroup taxa, alvarezsauroideans, and ending with ornithomimosaurs. The other series includes non- avian ornithuromophs and culminates with avians. Time of first appearance of members in each group show that the morphoseries sequence is not a chronological first-appearance order. PC 3 reveals a similar branching pattern though provides less distinction between “basal” avialans, alvarezsauroideans, dromaeosaurids, oviraptorosaurs, and ornithomimosaurs (Fig. 41). H. “Prosauropoda” The BDC results for Galton and Upchurch’s (2004a) data matrix, in Weishampel et al . (2004), reveal two main blocks of positive correlation separated by negative correlation: a large “prosauropod” block and a small sauropod block (Fig. 42). However, the sauropod Kotasaurus does not share any positive or negative correlation with any other taxon in the analysis. Similarly, both classical MDS and PCA results separate the prosauropods from all outgroups (Figs. 43 and 44). Removal of the four sauropod taxa from the BDC analysis shows evidence for discontinuity within “prosauropoda” (see Fig. 98 in the Appendix). PCA for Bronzati (2017) likewise shows separation, but in terms of three clustered groups: 1) traditional “prosauropods” + “basal” sauropods + Dicraeosaurus , 2) Sauropoda, 3) Thecodontosaurus + Pantydraco + Guaibasauridae + outgroup taxa. Although some sauropods seem to group with “prosauropods” in Figs. 45 and 46, “prosauropods” and these sauropods are distinct by PC 1 (Fig. 45). Doran et al. ◀ Dinosaur baraminology ▶ 2018 ICC 417 Figure 16 . BDC results for Holtz et al.’s (2004) data matrix of basal Tetanurae, as calculated by BDISTMDS (relevance cutoff 0.75). Closed squares indicate significant, positive BDC; open circles indicate significant, negative BDC.