Sphenochians and birds

["Jean-michel BENOIT" <Jean-Michel.BENOIT@gemplus.com>]

Hi all,

I was re-reading recently a _quite_ old but interesting book written by the 
Cserkases with help from Olson. It spoke of a possible origin of birds within 
the sphenosuchians, the fossil called *protoavis*, having elongated forelimbs 
thus thought to have had a arboricole ( is this the correct word? ) life but 
found with no evidence of feathers. It was thought to be derived from animals 
like *terretrisuchus* placing the first bird-like reptiles back to the triassic 
period. The text said that embryology showed that the missing fingers in birds 
were not the same as in theropods but were the same to those of crocodilians. 
I'm not very sure I've understood all the scientific explanations but it seemed 
very convincing to me. How about this theory? Is it still debated or has it 
been abandonned for ever?

Thanks for your answers

Jean-Michel


- The swift bird may steel the farmer's seeds but only the second mouse will 
eat his cheese -