Stegosaurs and fossil sails

[rowe@lepomis.psych.upenn.edu (Mickey Rowe)]

Sorry about the pun, Tom, but at least I did it on purpose :-).

Derek Tearne asks:

> In fact is there any reason to suspect that the plates [ of
> Stegosaurids ] weren't also horizontal or even drooping downwards.

I think I've asked this before and not gotten a response, but along
those lines, does anybody else accept Bob Bakker's view that
Stegosaurids could move their plates like butterflies move their
wings?  This view was displayed quite vividly as a cartoon in WHYY's
series two years ago.  I don't recall seeing it any place else.

And while I'm here...

Somebody expressed concern about the "advertisement" from Phoenix
fossils which was recently sent to the list.  I could take control of
this list by actively moderating it (though that would also have the
effect of slowing it down), but quite frankly I'd rather not.  As it
is, the list is a free-for-all, and anything sent to
dinosaur@lepomis... gets sent to everyone (unless the software has
some reason to think it "suspicious").  Currently, if you see
something that you think doesn't belong here, your three options are
a) send mail to the person who sent out the message telling them that
you didn't like their message (and preferably give them reasons), b)
write to the list to voice your concern and see if (or try to get)
others (to) share it and c) write to me (or someone else) and ask them
to voice your concern allowing you to remain anonymous.

In this instance, the person who wrote to me is relatively new to the
list, and so didn't see any discussions about the sale of fossils the
last time this came around.  Since he's by no means alone in that
regard, let me resurrect the discussion a bit here by reminding people
that the sale of fossils is a very touchy issue amongst professional
paleontologists.  People out to make money off of fossils (or *living*
animals and plants for that matter) can, will and do destroy objects
of study, potentially making them permanently unavailable.  Some
(myself included) consider that to be a crime against humanity.

Please think hard before passing along information about fossil sales
to *anyone* let alone to a group of people obviously interested in
talking about science.

More generally, using the net as a place to advertise for free isn't
exactly considered good behaviour...  On the off chance that these
fossils are only going to be displayed rather than offered for sale,
please accept my apologies.

Thanks,

-- 
Mickey Rowe     (rowe@lepomis.psych.upenn.edu)