DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Phylogeny, Ontogeny, and Endocranial Evolution of Oviraptorosauria (Theropoda: Coelurosauria)

蛋盗龙类是一组非鸟类恐龙，其形态特征和现存的鸟类使得蛋盗龙类与鸟类的进化位置难以区分。本研究试图通过系统发育分析提供这些进化关系的一个强有力的假设。由此产生的系统发育树将与适当的统计方法一起沿着使用，以解决有关中枢神经系统（CNS）变化导致飞行起源的问题。由于颅内腔近似于大脑的形态，利用CT扫描技术创建该空间的内模将使研究人员能够研究中枢神经系统如何沿着这一重要谱系在形态上发生沿着变化，以及它如何通过这些生物的生活史发生变化。这项研究为向公众教授进化论提供了一个有吸引力的模式。进化关系的假设将产生，可用于未来的研究感兴趣的生物学问题有关这一组。这项研究将产生大量新标本和新解剖系统的详细形态描述。此外，数字生成的颅内模型将为研究恐龙神经解剖学的研究人员提供宝贵的数据。

Morphological features of Oviraptorosauria, a group of non-avian dinosaurs, and extant birds have made the evolutionary placement of this group with respect to birds difficult to discern. This study seeks to provide a robust hypothesis of these evolutionary relationships through a phylogenetic analysis. The resulting phylogenetic tree will be used along with appropriate statistical methods to address questions concerning changes in the central nervous system (CNS) leading to the origin of flight. Since the endocranial cavity approximates the morphology of the brain, creating endocasts of this space with CT scanning technology will allow the investigators to study how the CNS changes morphologically along this important lineage, as well as how it changes through the life history of these organisms.Given the public interest in dinosaurs and the origination of characters associated with flight, this study provides an appealing model for teaching evolutionary theory to the public. A hypothesis of evolutionary relationships will be generated that can be used in future studies interested in biological questions concerning this group. The study will generate a large body of detailed morphological descriptions of new specimens and novel anatomical systems. Additionally, digitally generated endocranial casts will provide invaluable data for researchers studying the neuroanatomy of dinosaurs.