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Re: New MANIAC book is out!
The "short description" by amazon.de, which is probably the blurb
supplied by the author:
... The environment opened up making it difficult for poor fliers
and gliders as forested areas became less dense. Secondarily
flightless terrestrial forms and birds with full flight
capabilities survived best in these new environments. Eventually,
birds of modern aspect probably replaced the primitive
maniraptorans since they were more efficient fliers and had evolved
higher metabolic rates suitable for the cooler climate.
I am becoming increasingly frustrated by the consistent use (in
multiple camps, not just aiming at the MANIACs) of the terms "poor
flier" and "good flier". What, exactly, is a poor flyer? Living
flyers that inhabit forested terrain are often highly maneuverable and
capable of landing and launching in very difficult and cluttered
environments. Are they poor fliers? Open terrain species are,
contrary to what the blurb seems to suggest, often semi-terrestrial
burst launchers with little ability to sustain flight for long
distances. Of course, others are long-distance migrants capable of
staying aloft for long periods - which one of these is the "bird with
full flight capabilities"? Now, I grant that the variation present in
the Cretaceous was not the same as what we see in modern birds, but
the word usage is still awfully vague.
Cheers,
--Mike H.
Michael Habib
Assistant Professor of Biology
Chatham University
Woodland Road, Pittsburgh PA 15232
Buhl Hall, Room 226A
mhabib@chatham.edu
(443) 280-0181