Dave and "Reptiles"

[DPterosaur@aol.com]

Will the terms "amniotes", "synapsids" and "pterosaurs" ever have the psychic
punch that the terms "dinosaur" and "reptile" do?  I doubt it, but we can
keep on trying.  

P.S. I vote * yes * to  include synapsida in these discussions.

Skip Dahlgren wrote asking to see Quick Time movies and such of my
articulated pterosaurs.  Although I've done some 3-D animation back in the
Super-8 days, I've not done any recently, nor do I intend to.  However, If
you would like me to send you sketches and/or halftones of the skeletons in
"action," I would be happy to do so.  Send me your address and specific
request.  My profile is online.

George Olshevsky writes: 
<Most life restorations of _Archaeopteryx_ show the entire body covered with
feathers, as in modern birds. Yet there is not a shred of evidence
forextensive, all-over contour feathers in that genus... so perhaps in
_Archaeopteryx_ scales covered much more of the body than that.>

Good point, George! I absolutely love to hear these wonderful little
speculative tidbits.  This is what makes paleo always new and fascinating!

David Peters