Re: Mesozoic birds made insects shrink

[Mike Keesey <keesey@gmail.com>]

On Tue, Jun 5, 2012 at 2:13 PM,  <tyazbeck@comcast.net> wrote

> I just prefer conservative, realistic artwork that doesen't jump to 
> conclusions about feathers or ptero-fur, or fleshy ornamentation, etc.

Ptero-fur is pretty well-established, so it would be "radical" not to
include it. Much as it would be radical to depict a naked-skinned
Smilodon.

Now, if by "fleshy ornamentation", you're referring to something like
this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jeholopterus.png
... then I think it would be safe to say pretty much everyone
(possibly excepting the original artist) would agree!

> I think that we sometimes need to restrain ourselves when it comes to 
> deciding whether a certain dinosaur should be depicted with feathers or down.

We need to restrain ourselves to the evidence, such as it is.
Currently evidence shows that feathers are present at least throughout
Tyrannoraptora, with homologous structures possibly present even in
the earliest stem-avians (i.e., basal avemetatarsalians).

You seem to be suggesting it's "conservative" to keep depicting things
the way we've always depicted them. But past paleo-art should not be
what informs us -- only what inspires us.

-- 
T. Michael Keesey
http://tmkeesey.net/