bird-mammal common ancestor

[matt spitzer]

In article <mwspitze-060994110940 at phar2.medsurge.hsis.uci.edu>,
mwspitze at uci.edu (matt spitzer) wrote:

> A question for evolutionary biologists:
> 
> What is the current thinking on the common ancestor of birds and mammals? 
> Was it a primitive turtle-like reptile?  What would be the closest living
> species?

Let me clarify my question.  When mammals split off the reptile line, what
was the likely reptilian ancestor?