Re: speculation

[Chris Illes <chris_illes@Claris.COM>]

Please pardon my perhaps ignorant question on this one but isn't it true 
that the leg, head and body feathers of a bird contribute nothing to it's 
flight capabilities?

Granted without the feathers on the wings birds couldn't fly. This is in 
their current configuration as we know feathers are not a requirement of 
flight (bats, for example).

But I don't see where body feathers are at all relevant to flight so they 
must have a different purpose. The most likely being thermoregulation as 
far as I can see it.

It then seems to me that the question is did the body feathers come first 
or did the wing feathers come first. I may not be presenting this too 
well, but doesn't this make some sense?

-Chris