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

窃蛋龙（Oviraptorosauria，一种非鸟类恐龙）和现存鸟类的形态特征使得这一类群相对于鸟类的进化位置难以辨别。本研究旨在通过系统发育分析为这些进化关系提供一个强有力的假设。由此产生的系统发育树将与适当的统计方法一起用于解决有关导致飞行起源的中枢神经系统（CNS）变化的问题。由于颅内腔近似于大脑的形态，因此用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变化，以及它如何通过这些生物体的生活史发生变化。鉴于公众对恐龙的兴趣以及与飞行有关的人物起源，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。一个进化关系的假设将会产生，可以用于未来对这个群体的生物学问题感兴趣的研究。这项研究将产生大量新的标本和新的解剖系统的详细形态描述。此外，数字化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.