Re: DOWNY STEGOSAURS (WAS: Re: Feathers on Bloody Everything)

[Philidor11@aol.com]

In my missive I listed poikilothermy, homeothermy, heterothermy, and
heliothermy as examples of alternate thermies.  I also mentioned the idea that
the small carnosaurs might have been able to expel heat through areas of their
skin, as was quoted.
My question was, if feathers are associated only with birds and birds have an
extremely fast metabolism, isn't it possible that the small carnosaurs had a
different metabolism, and so would not have required feathers?  If so, the
possible adaptations could be anything from skin (and panting?) to some
modification of scales.  This is particularly possible if the climate was not
extreme.
If a range of metabolisms and adaptations is possible, you have more freedom
in your illustrations, since you can make feathers, hair-like scales (I'd like
to see silver, with a part on the left and a slight wave on the right, but
that's just me), scales that lift like awnings, or even no adaptation at all
(the old favorite).
By the way, I restated your argument in a list to show how frequently you were
relying on all and always to draw inferences, and some people take such a
reformulation as criticism.  I wasn't criticizing.
Anyway, if you manage a bit longer without sleep you might be the least gross
person on the Guinness Book of World Records TV show.  You can share your
hallucinations.  Thanks for staying up a bit longer.