Re: ABSRD BAND on Sinornithosaurus feathers

[TomHopp@aol.com]

David Marjanovic wrote:

<< There is an even simpler, IMHO even more obvious, solution: just about any 
shape is perfect for getting rid of excess sulphur-rich protein, >>

This concept keeps cropping up so, and at the risk of offending: It is, and 
always was, bulls**t. Sulfur has several major ways out of the body, at 
absolutely trivial energy expense (urine, feces -- see what I mean about 
bulls**t?) To evolve an epidermal structure of great complexity (even hair, 
let alone feathers) is a tremendous waste of body resources, when the kidney 
and liver were already there and dealing with sulfur levels -- and N and P 
and Se and Ni and K and Ca and H . . .

What's a little S, more or less, to such a dynamic system?

A question: if variations in your sulfur-wearing protobird's diet led to 
normal or deficient sulfur levels, did it stop growing feathers?

Thomas P. Hopp, PhD Biochemistry 1977, Cornell Medical College