Re: "New" bird-dinosaur study

[Ronald Orenstein <ornstn@inforamp.net>]

At 09:59 AM 24/10/97 -0400, you wrote:
>The BBC is reporting a new bird-dinosaur study that reports developmental
>evidence suggesting that the birds decended from dinosaurs hypothesis is
>incorrect.  The researchers (N. Carolina, I believe) studied the
development of
>the "hand" in "birds" and "dinosaurs" (no species given in the report).  The
>results indicate that fingers 2,3 & 4 comprise the bird "hand" (loss of 1 and
>5) whereas fingers 1, 2 & 3 comprise the "theropod" hand (loss of 4 & 5). 
>Again, no species were given.

North Carolina, eh?  Gosh, Alan Feduccia is at the University of North
Carolina.  What an amazing coincidence....

The "hand" business is not new.  It has been around for decades, and there
is by no means agreement on the subject.  For the opposite point of view
see pp. 74-75 in Currie and Padian's "Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs".
--
Ronald I. Orenstein                           Phone: (905) 820-7886
International Wildlife Coalition              Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116
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