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RE: flight beginnings



Hi Dr. Williams,

You often say that the skeletal features of animals clearly predict whether 
they are capable of arboreality or not. For example, you have said that, based 
on the skeletons of caprinids alone, we would expect that they are climbers. 
Could you state once again what those predictive skeletal features are please?

Also, what skeletal features of the Hyrax (Procavia) do you see as predictive 
of arboreality?

Thank you.

________________________________________
From: owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu [owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu] on behalf of Tim Williams 
[tijawi@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, March 28, 2015 12:00 AM
To: dinosaur@usc.edu
Subject: Re: flight beginnings

dale mcinnes <wdm1949@hotmail.com> wrote:

> Sorry. I meant anteroposterior shaped pubic boot as in 'tear drop". Not the
> vertical shape of these. Perhaps the boat floats a little better now ??


I thought "tear drop shaped pubes" was an accurate description, and a
nice turn of phrase.  But I do have reservations about this feature
having a role in flight evolution.  There's a great many changes
evident in the skeletons of theropods on the line that led to birds.
Sometimes it's not clear which of those changes can be directly linked
to aerial locomotion.




Cheers
Tim