Re: A Minnesotain view of insulation

[Stan Friesen <swf@ElSegundoCA.NCR.COM>]

From: Rob Meyerson <Robert.J.Meyerson@uwrf.edu>
 > The moral being that insulation is like a thermos: it keeps hot
 > things hot and cold things cold.  So, for an ectotherm, being
 > insulated is a disadvantage, as it keeps heat from reaching the
 > body, and keeping the animal cold for a longer period of time.

Which brings us right around again back to my point from last week.

An insulated standard ectotherm just ain't a gonna work.


An example involving the same effect in another context:
guess why bedouins wear clothing that almost completely covers
the body?  Not to keep warm, obviously.  The answer is, of course,
to keep cool.

 >  So, if we can show traces of insulation on a fossil form,
 > it practically requires that the specimen was not fully ectothermic.
 > 
If it covered enough of the body to be effective at thermal regulation.

Still, this seems likely to be the case in _Sinosauropteryx_,
so it is beginning to look like we have to conclude that at least
the coelurosaurs were at least incipiently endothermic.

[There, how is that for "scientific caution"?]

swf@elsegundoca.ncr.com         sarima@ix.netcom.com

The peace of God be with you.