Re: The "obvious" poll

["King, Norm" <nking.ucs@smtp.usi.edu>]

I found the write-up of the "obvious" poll on The Dinosauria web site 
quite amusing.  I was surpised to see what my comments had inspired.  
However, I think such a poll can't be done with animals that people are 
already familiar with.  If one must be taken, I think you should pick one 
bird and two dinosaurs randomly--who knows what they might be?  Of 
course, any child can see that Compsognathus looks like a bird.  Perhaps 
there is a program that can morph skeletons (if there isn't, there should 
be!), so why not morph them so they really are unknown animals?  After 
all, isn't that what evolution does?  Then, discuss their inferred 
lifestyles (which might require a bit of imagination after morphing).  
Finally, provide a size scale.

Let me know how it turns out!


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Norman R. King                                       tel:  (812) 464-1794
Department of Geosciences                            fax:  (812) 464-1960
University of Southern Indiana
8600 University Blvd.
Evansville, IN 47712                      e-mail:  nking.ucs@smtp.usi.edu