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Panguraptor revisited in 2026

Tuesday, June 30, 2026 7:43

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Zhang et al 2026
redescribed the osteology and systematics of Panguraptor (Fig 1), a Chinese theropod from the Early Jurassic.

Figure 1. Panguraptor compared to Protoavis, a taxon not mentioned in the 2026 text.

The authors reported,
“Panguraptor was recovered as a member of the Coelophysidae, with Zupaysaurus and Lilensternus recovered as the outgroups in the superfamily Coelophysoidea.”

Zuolong and Protoavis (Figs 1, 2) are words that are not in the text.

The authors also reported,
“Panguraptor is an early-branching member of the superfamily Coelophysoidea, indicating a yet to be uncovered ghost lineage of Coelophysoidea in East Asia.”

Late Jurassic Zuolong is also from East Asia.
Late Triassic Tawa is from New Mexico.

Borrowed cladogram
Cladograms are difficult to build. They take time. Academics choose to borrow the work of others. Sometimes they trust the scores. Sometimes they don’t. In this case the authors borrowed from Ezcurra 2023, “which is the latest update of Nesbitt et al 2009”, which was a freshman effort discussed and recovered here in a 9-part series.

So, the matrix was tainted with bad scores and missing taxa from the get-go.

Figure 2. Subset of the LRT focusing on Panguraptor and Protoavis.

Outgroup
The authors report Erythrosuchus was selected as the outgroup. This is cherry-picking to the extreme. The large reptile tree (LRT, 2340 taxa) indicates the outgroup for the Dinosauria is the Crocodylomorphia, then the Poposauridae, then several clades without names, then Rauisuchidae then Ornithosuchidae – then Erythrosuchidae.

In a best case scenario there should be no choice or selection of an outgroup. Rather the outgroup for your smaller subset should be indicated and specified by your wider gamut cladogram. In other words: stop cherry-picking.

The skeleton of Panguraptor was colorized
in this paper. This is the DGS (Digital Graphic Segregation) method first shared with other paleontologists in 2003 using Jeholopterus (see the masthead above). This technique was ignored then blasted. Now it is common practice.

References
Chatterjee S 1991a. Cranial anatomy and relationships of a new Triassic bird from Texas. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 332: 277-342.
Chatterjee S 1991b. Protoavis and the early evolution of birds. Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences 332(1265):277–342. PDF
You H-L et al. (4 co-authors) 2014. The first well-preserved coelophysoid theropod dinosaur from Asia. Zootaxa. 3873 (3): 233–249.nces 332: 277-342.
Zhang Z et al (4 co-authors) 2026. Redescription of the osteology and the systematics of Panguraptor lufengensis (Neotheropoda, Coelophysoidea). Swiss Journal of Palaeontology 145:723–750.

wiki/Protoavis
wiki/Panguraptor

Thanks to reader, Stu, for sending me the link to this paper.

Late Triassic Protoavis enters the LRT alongside Early Jurassic Panguraptor

Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2026/06/30/panguraptor-revisited-in-2026/

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