Re: dinosaur anatomy

[Raptor RKC <RaptorRKC@aol.com>]

To all:

<< That makes the *symmetrical* feathers on _Protoarchaeopteryx_ a bit 
 difficult to fathom, doesn't it? >>
 
 Yes.  It makes more sense if _Protarchaeopteryx_ (sp?) is secondarily
flightless and, like modern-day ratites, its asymmetrical feathers reverted to
symmetry since they lost their use for flight.

To me, the whole feather-evolution makes more sense if feathers originated as
insulation, then came in handy as a flight apparatus later ...  Just _my_
$0.02.  

Rachel Clark
http://members.aol.com/raptorrkc/

"Now listen here, monkey-boy!  Compared to you humans, I'm on the top rung of
the evolutionary ladder, so _can_ it, alright?"