bananabenana , 1 month ago

Three robust genetics papers using different sequences and genes, each time place it as a sister group to Archosauria:

248 nuclear genes (187,026 nucleotide sites): www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3473239/

1145 ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and their variable flanking DNA: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/…/rsbl.2012.0331

1,113 single-copy coding genes, robustly indicated that turtles are likely to be a sister group of crocodilians and birds: www.nature.com/articles/ng.2615

This level of genetic evidence is an overwhelmingly strong signal, regarding relationships and recent common ancestry to extant species. I would say it is undeniably strong. You cannot possibly get evolutionary convergence over this many genetic loci.