Theropod-bird link reconsidered - Reply

Norell et al.1 describe a Velociraptor ‘wishbone’ which they interpret as a new piece of evidence for the theropod origin of birds. The bone fits a pattern of furcula-like structures that have been discovered in certain late Cretaceous theropods, including Oviraptor, Ingenia and possibly others2, some of which possess clavicles — usually not fused. But this interpretation gives rise to problems of chronology, structure and function.