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Re: Of course nonavian dinosaurs could fly - duh
Donna Braginetz wrote:
> > A number of arboreal animals have elongated
> > limbs, including some primates.
>
> True, but Anchiornis certainly wasn't brachiating through
> the forest. :-)
I was about to say the same thing. Primates also have highly mobile wrist and
ankle joints, and superb branch-grasping abilities. All these characters are
conspicuously lacking from any non-avian theropod. A perching hallux doesn't
turn up until well into Avialae (the bird clade).
> I really am trying hard to picture a lifestyle for these
> guys other than
> feeding on the ground and roosting in trees, like a wild
> turkey.
That's exactly how I picture them. In other words, paravians like _Anchiornis_
split their time between trees and the ground, but were much more comfortable
on the ground.
Aerodynamically, these four-winged theropods remind me of giant shuttlecocks,
with the feathers adapted to maximize drag.
Cheers
Tim