Re: "New" bird-dinosaur study

[Jeffrey Martz <martz@holly.ColoState.EDU>]

> 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.

      I am curious as to what they have found out that wasn't covered when
this study was done the first couple hundred times.  In the previous
studies, there was some considerable interpretation involved with which of
the dark blobs in the earlier stages of embryonic development were
homologous with what finger. Have recent techniques made the homologies of
the hand more clear, or is Fedduccia just repeating the study to counter
the Mononykus and Sinosauropteryx presentations at SVP?

LN Jeff
O-