Maniraptora

   Maniraptora is the sister group to Arctometatarsalia and together with it makes up Maniraptoriformes.  It has several main groups: Deinonychosauria, including Dromaeosauridae, or "raptors", and the gracile Troodontidae; Oviraptorosauria (Caenagnathidae/Elmisauridae, Oviraptoridae, and ?Avimimidae); Therizinosauria; and Avialae.  Feathers or protofeathers are known for deinonychosaurians, basal oviraptorosaurians, basal therizinosaurians, and avialans (this one is easily verified), suggesting all maniraptorans possessed one or the other.  Oviraptorosauria and Therizinosauria are sometimes combined into one group, Oviraptoriformes (informally "Enigmosauria").  What follows would pass for conservative, if I actually knew what I was doing.
    
<--Maniraptora
      |-->Therizinosauria
      `--+-->Alvarezsauridae
           `--+-->Oviraptorosauria
                `--Eumaniraptora
                     |--Deinonychosauria
                     |    |-->Dromaeosauridae
                     |    `-->Troodontidae
                     `--Avialae
                          |--Archaeopteryx
                          `--A whole bunch of extinct non-classic dinosaurian birds, leading to...
                               `--The modern birds we all know and love, except when they
                                   decorate our motor vehicles and other outdoor objects (as you
                                   can probably guess, bird systematics aren't my strong suit).

Maniraptora i.s.:  

Taxon or Taxa: Time/Place: Comments:
Bradycneme draculae (N.D.) Harrison and Walker, 1975 early-mid Maastrichtian (LK) of Romania Bradycneme is based on a poorly-preserved distal tibiotarsus (tibia and fused ankle elements), originally thought to belong to an owl.  This has some resemblance to corresponding elements in the troodontids, but cannot be classified beyond Maniraptora indeterminate.
Incisivosaurus gauthieri Xu, Cheng, Wang, and Chang, 2002 (?Protarchaeopteryx) early Aptian (EK) of China Yet another bizarre Yixian theropod, Incisivosaurus has some characteristics of both therizinosaurians and oviraptorosaurians, but is most recognizable for its elongated front teeth, giving it a buck-toothed appearance; it was also noticeably heterodont, with "incisors" up front, followed by peg-like teeth, and therizinosaurian-type teeth behind them.  It is known from a skull and cervical.  It could be the same as Protarchaeopteryx.
Omnivoropteryx sinousaorum Czerkas and Ji, 2002 (?Sapeornis) Barremian-early Aptian (EK) of China Well...it seems to be a possibly flying critter with a Caudipteryx-like head.  It's known from most of a skeleton, found with possible remains of Cryptovolans, another possible flyer, this time a dromaeosaurid.  The animal, as the name suggests, is interpreted as an omnivore, based on the skull.
Palaeopteryx thomsoni (N.D.) Jensen, 1981 late Kimmeridgian (LJ) of Colorado Based on what was considered to be a bird's remains, this animal turned out to be a small maniraptoran theropod.
Protarchaeopteryx robusta Ji Q. and Ji S., 1997 (?Incisivosaurus) early Aptian (EK) of China While the name may sound like a typo, it isn't.  This animal may be close to the ancestry of dromaeosaurids (although there are some hints it is actually an oviraptorosaurian), but is not particularly well preserved.  A pair of specimens once assigned to it have been renamed Caudipteryx.  Incisivosaurus may belong here.
Shanyangosaurus niupanggouensis Xue, Zhang, and Bi, 1996 mid-late Maastrichtian (LK) of China Shanyangosaurus is an obscure small theropod, based on a large (but unfortunately poorly preserved) portion of the postcranium.  This mysterious animal is currently distinguished by the unique form of its cnemial crest (a process on the upper end of the tibia, corresponding roughly to the knee).  It seems to be closest to the oviraptorosaurians.  It may or may not have possessed uncinate processes, which are like bony horizontal rods projecting from the ribs.  These are seen in avians and some classic dinosaurs.
Variraptor mechinorum (?N.D.) Le Loeuff and Buffetaut, 1998 late Campanian-early Maastrichtian (LK) of France Originally described as a dromaeosaurid but based on possibly chimeric material, this theropod was described as favoring carrion.
Xinjiangovenator parvus Rauhut and Xu, 2005 ?Valanginian-Albian (EK) of China Based on a partial hindlimb (tibia, fibula, astragalus, and calcaneum) originally referred to Phaedrolosaurus, this animal appears to be some sort of maniraptoran, currently without a more inclusive home.  There is a vague possible relationship with Bagaraatan.  It has an unusual groove on the fibula.
Yixianosaurus longimanus Xu and Wang, 2003 Barremian-early Aptian (EK) of China From the Yixian, as its name makes clear, this taxon is based on the forelimbs and shoulders of a basal maniraptoran with exceedingly long hands, suggesting derived tree-climbing abilities.  Some feathers are also preserved.

Eumaniraptora i.s:  Eumaniraptorans get all the press.  In the early 2000s, a new Yixian deinonychosaurian was unveiled.  This specimen, a nearly complete juvenile, has some of the best preserved feathers of any yet found.  It was not assigned to any genus, but possibly is a juvenile of Sinornithosaurus.  Deinonychosaurian teeth are now known from the LK of Brazil.
    The taxon Paraves is roughly equivalent to Eumaniraptora; Eumaniraptora is the least inclusive group including Deinonychus and birds (a node-based group), whereas Paraves is all theropods closer to birds than to Oviraptor (a stem-based group).  Thus, as arranged here, there could be non-eumaniraptoran paravians, but not the other way around.  Additionally, if troodontids were basal to the group Deinonychus+birds, there would be a substantial group of non-eumaniraptoran paravians, but for now and the purposed of this page, Eumaniraptora and Paraves are functionally the same.

Taxon or Taxa: Time/Place: Comments:
Dalianraptor cuhe Gao and Liu, 2005 early Aptian (EK) of China This maniraptoran is described as being like Shenzhouraptor.  It may not have been able to fly.  A skull is included in the type material.
Epidendrosaurus nighchengensis Zhang, Zhou, Xu, and Wang, 2002 (?Scansoriopteryx) LJ of China Based on a juvenile (essentially weeks-removed from hatching) specimen, Epidendrosaurus includes unusual features, such as an extremely elongated third finger, which indicate that it could climb trees.
Epidexipteryx hui F. Zhang, Z. Zhou, X. Xu, X. Wang, and Sullivan, 2008 LJ of China Little Epidexi was a short-tailed short-snouted maniraptoran with long strap or ribbon-like feather things on its stubby tail.  It was similar to the scansoriopterygids Epidendrosaurus and Scansoriopteryx, although unfortunately its hands are are one of the few parts of the body that aren't preserved clearly (the scansoriopteygids, of course, having very distinctive hands). 
Hulsanpes perlei Osmolska, 1982 ?mid Campanian (LK) of Mongolia Based on foot bones pertaining to a juvenile individual, Hulsanpes may be a juvenile of its own taxon, another classic theropod, or a bird.  The remains suggest it is most probably a primitive avian, or maybe related to the dromaeosaurids.
Jinfengopteryx elegans Ji, Ji, Lu, You, Chen, Liu, and Liu, 2005 ?Berrisian-?Hauterivian (EK) of China Known from most of the skeleton of a single individual, including feather impressions, Jinfengopteryx was described as an archaeopterygid, but others have suggested that it instead is a basal troodontid.  This is not a particularly large leap, as a basal troodontid and an Archaeopteryx-grade theropod would be fairly similar; a major difference is the length of the forelimbs, and Jinfengopteryx follows troodontids in having relatively short arms.
"Koreanosaurus koreanensis" (N.N.) Kim, 1979 Aptian-early Albian (EK) of South Korea Based on a femur, this animal has been called at different times a tyrannosaurid, hypsilophodontid, and dromaeosaurid (even the same as Deinonychus).  Its reported possession of a fourth trochanter at least means it can't be regular old Deinonychus, but at this point it's still pretty mysterious, although apparently close to if not a dromaeosaurid.
"Laelaps": "L." cristatus (N.D.) Cope, 1876 late Maastrichtian (LK) of Wyoming This is an indeterminate deinonychosaurian (?dromaeosaurid) based on teeth.
"L." explanatus (N.D.) Cope, 1876 late middle Campanian (LK) of Montana These two tooth taxa are usually assigned to Dromaeosaurus, although there has been a suggestion that they were troodontids instead. 
"L." laevifrons (N.D.) Cope, 1876
Pedopenna daohugouensis Xu and Zhang, 2005 ?MJ-?LJ of China Here's a new feathered maniraptoran that's not from the Yixian!  Actually, the most interesting aspects are that it is apparently from the Jurassic, and that it preserves a hindlimb-wing.  There's not a whole lot of material, just an articulated right hindlimb from the mid tibia to the toes, with large feather impressions, particularly associated with the metatarsals.  It is considered to be an eumaniraptor, but it doesn't fit within the major derived groups included in this grouping.  It had an enlarged second claw, and, like most of these early eumaniraptorans, was small, probably less than a meter long.
Pneumatoraptor fodori Ősi, Apesteguía, and Kowalewski, 2010 Santonian (LK) of Hungary Pneumatoraptor is based on a paravian left shoulder girdle.  Some other miscellaneous bones from the same formation may pertain to it.  The name refers to the pneumaticity of the bone.
?"Proornis coreae" (N.N.) Lim vide Pak and Kim, 1996 ?Barremian (EK) of North Korea Based on a skull, cervicals, forelimbs, and feathers, this apparently unofficially-named taxon has been compared to dromaeosaurids and Archaeopteryx, although may be closer to the basal bird Confuciusornis.
Sapeornis chaoyangensis Zhou and Zhang, 2002 (?Omnivoropteryx) early Aptian (EK) of China Sapeornis is a derived maniraptoran, described as one of the most basal birds (except for Archaeopteryx and so on).  It is unusually large, being twice the size of Microraptor, and is considered to be a flyer.  It is somewhere between Archaeopteryx and the confuciousornithids (the next birds on the tree).  
Scansoriopteryx heilmanni Czerkas and Yuan, 2002 (?Epidendrosaurus) LJ of China A new Yixian theropod, based on a partial juvenile skeleton including skull and limb elements, Scansoriopteryx appears to be a climbing maniraptoran (probably the same as Epidendrosaurus, but this is not quite nailed down).  It had an unusually long third digit of the hand, longer than the other two digits. 
Shenzhouraptor sinensis Ji Q., Ji S., You H., Zhang J. Yuan C., Ji X., Li J., and Li Y., 2002 (including Jeholornis prima Zhou and Zhang F., 2002) early Aptian (EK) of China So far known mostly from newspaper reports, this new feathered beastie may be a Rahonavis-grade "aerial dromaeosaurid."
It appears to be the same as Jeholornis.  This animal was first described as a long-tailed bird and as a seed eater (its gut full of said foodstuff).
Yandangornis longicaudus Cai and Zhao, 1999 Santonian (LK) of China Initially described as an avian, this animal has an unusual combination of features, including a long tail and a toothless premaxilla.

Avialae (Archaeopteryx):  Yeah, I gave up the Paulian secondarily-flightless maniraptorans. 

Taxon or Taxa: Time/Place: Comments:
Archaeopteryx:
Meyer, 1861		 A. lithographica (type) Meyer, 1861 Tithonian (LJ) of Germany This is the famous "missing link" between birds and classic dinosaurs, and it has held up very well over the years.  It is now known from ten skeletons of varying completeness, one of which was considered a pterosaur originally and another of which was originally assigned to Compsognathus.  It was about crow-sized in mass, and was probably a decent but not pretty flyer.  Specimens of it show both the hyperextendable "sickle-claw" and excellent feather impressions.  It is very similar to dromaeosaurids in a number of ways.
A new genus has been coined for one of the specimens: Wellnhoferia grandis Elzanowski, 2001 (that's nothing new; practically every specimen was getting its own genus if not species for a while there).  The differences given include size and structure of the hindlimbs and tail.  While I'm not opposed to there being multiple species of Archaeopteryx, generic separation seems to be a bit much.  This is something where time (and more specimens!) will help.  A. lithographica seems to be the larger species, and A. siemensii smaller. 
A. siemensii Dames, 1897

From here on out, it's just birds, not classic dinosaurs, so we end our expedition.  I assume you're fairly familiar with the characteristics of modern birds, and so will just say early birds differ from modern birds in several important ways: some had teeth, some had bony tails, and some had free fingers that still had claws.  These are the major differences.

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