Re: Paedomorphosis ( Re: BARYONYX' CLAWS )

["Matthew Troutman" <m_troutman@hotmail.com>]

<<In California, Common Murrels (sp?) swim and dive like penguins, as 
well as fly.  There are some captive birds in a large tank with fish at 
the Monterey Bay Aquarium where you occasionally are surprised that the 
swift-moving fish that just passed by you was a bird.>>

    Submarine fliers. See, many seabirds fly both in air and water. 
There is no real difference.

<<Is the uprightness of penguins, auks, and some ducks an adaptation 
away from pure flight mechanics or is tehre another reason why these 
birds are more vertical in body plan than perching birds?>>

     Actually, alot of birds stand nearly vertical. In penguins it is 
derived. I would imagine it would be linked to the increased pectoral 
musclature.

MattTroutman


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