Oviraptor and feathered Ornithischians

[Palaeogothica <GROS4891@Adc.MtRoyal.AB.CA>]

    Greetings all,
    
        I just got the Jan.-Feb. issue of _Prehistoric Times_ (an 
excellent magazine, I recomend it to all you dino-philes who don't 
worship at it's alter already:-), and it raised a few 
questions/observations in me that I want to run by you all...

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        While talking about the brooding Oviraptor find, they 
reminded me of a point that had been bugging me ever since they found 
the thing. A lot of the publicity and comments surrounding it have 
said how it "may not deserve it's egg robber reputation" just because 
it looks after its own eggs... I was under the impression that it 
wasn't just the fact that it was found on a pile of eggs that gave 
credence to it's possible diet, but that there were several other 
characteristics, the least of which was it's mouth structure, that 
supported the opertunistic egg-eating hypothesis. Considering that 
probably any and every small theropod may have eaten eggs should they 
become available, why suddenly make Oviraptor a saint (:-) because of 
this one find? Or am I just out to lunch again?

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        In the Bob Bakker interview, he mentioned possible preserved 
ornithischian skin with feather imprints, discovered by Rev.Edward 
Hitchcock... What's up with this? He sounded pretty sure of it, but 
I've never heard anything about this before, and one would think that 
if it was what he said it was, we would have heard more of it. 

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        In an unrelated point, I'm still looking for links to 
web-sites related to:

        Alberta palaeontology, and
        amateur/avocational palaeontology
        
For the Alberta Palaeontological Society web page 
( http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/9094/aps.html ). Thanks to all those 
who have responded already!

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        Anyhoo, take care all, and thanks in advance to anybody who 
can sedate my curiousity...

Cory

 











*******light a candle for my sins and burn me to the ground********
*         Cory Gross         *     the Text of Palaeogothica      * 
* gros4891@adc.mtroyal.ab.ca * http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/9094 *
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