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Re: More evidence of dinosaur colors



Guy Leahy wrote:


> Oh, this is *so* cool:
>  
> http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/sci;science.1186290v1?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=dinosaur+color&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT


Unlike the Nature article, this article offers some very interesting ideas for 
possible behaviors that could use feather coloration:


"Alternatively, bold plumage color patterns can function in
interspecific threat and defense postures (e.g., some owls or
sunbittern, _Eurypygia helias_), in startling predators or
warning conspecifics within a flock (15), or in startling
invertebrate prey which are seized as they attempt to flee
(e.g., North American _Setophaga redstarts_, Neotropical
_Myioborus_ whitestarts, and Australian _Rhipidura wagtai_
(16, 17)."


This last point (startling small prey) reminds me of an idea I had a few years 
back regarding the short wings of _Caudipteryx_.  I wrote:


"Basal oviraptorosaurs (_Caudipteryx_, _Protarchaeopteryx_, _Incisivosaurus_) 
also have procumbent teeth. These critters might have included arthropod prey 
in their diet. One idea of mine (completely untestable, and so not worth a jot) 
is that these theropods used their wings and feathered tails to flush insects 
out of small trees into the open, like some birds do today (wagtails, etc)."


http://dml.cmnh.org/2007Apr/msg00313.html


At the time, the idea of reconstructing the colors of plumage in fossil 
theropods seemed like science fiction.  But now... maybe the idea is not 
*untestable* any more.  The 'wagtail' hypothesis is certainly not as wacky as 
it sounded back then.


Cheers

Tim




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