Greetings from Italy :O)

Mik

To explain: I’m creating a world where dragons exist. I’ve already decided that dragons are descended from a thecodont ancestor, but their relationship to the other thecodont derived orders remained mostly unclear. Learning about crocodylian ankles helped clarify matters.

In short, dragons have an ankle structure much like that of crocodylians, if a bit more derived than the latter. There are other differences structurally, indicating a common thecodont ancestor rather than a suchian one. It should be noted that in some respect the dragon ankle is actually more primitive than the crocodylian, while, at the same time, incorporating advanced features that result in the same utility as crocodylians enjoy.

And so an exercise in fantasizing gains a greater degree of depth and versimilitude than it would otherwise enjoy without science.

In important matters, I hope Tito is doing well and enjoying life. Tell him I said hi, and give him a good head skritching for me.

Also, thanks for the kind words on my blog

Most assuredly, Sandy. Every dog should be as fortunate.

Effigia looks splendid, OGeorge. Between it and Chimerosuchus It leads me to imagine what your take on the therapsids might be like. Not meant as a hint; it’s just those freakies fascinate me. (-;

Thanks for putting up your drawings for us to enjoy.

True and False Gharials: A Nuclear Gene Phylogeny of Crocodylia
(Harshman et al.)

Combined Support for Wholesale Taxic Atavism in Gavialine Crocodylians
(Gatesy et al.)