Re: Evolution of flight

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

Toby White wrote:
> 
> Would you say the same of Protoavis? Rahonavis?  I suppose we're a little
> short of information on both, but I'm interested in your speculation.

If the evolution of "true" flying birds was quick them we probably 
shouldn't look for something sort of half-bird half-dino. Perhaps we 
should look for the earliest bird that seems to indicate a likely
ancestory to the extant varieties. It wouldn't surprise me if the
"true" bird line did not separate from other theropods until
the Cretaceous, with earlier flying theropods being unrelated to
extant birds. All speculation mind you, but I'm not one of those
people who thinks that "oldest is best". Some people may try to
force bird origins as far back as possible for the same reason that
archaeologists may try to find evidence of 100,000+ year-old human
remains in Australia, or 30,000+ BP artefacts in South America -
simply to be the first to discover the oldest (I'm not pointing
fingers at anyone mind you).

> Is your analysis consistent with an assumption of parsimony?  I tried to
> figure this out but couldn't.
> 

Please in no way mistake any of my speculations with actual scientific
investigation. From what I have read it seems that archaeopteryx shares
more in common with theropod dinosaurs than true birds, and I have
read suggestions that it may not have contributed to the modern
bird line at all. It was originally labled as the "first bird" based
mainly on the presence of feathers, which at the time was thought
to be something unique to birds. Evidence now suggests that this is
not the case, with many people suggesting that feathers may have
been widespread amongst the smaller theropods.

Please feel free to flame me (I kinda like it), and yes, I have fixed
my email parameters so my messages don't look quite so much like
shopping lists anymore.

-- 
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        Dann Pigdon
        Melbourne, Australia

        Dinosaur Reconstructions:
        http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/4459/
        Australian Dinosaurs:
        http://www.alphalink.com.au/~dannj
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