Re: No more paedomorphosis

[Dinogeorge <Dinogeorge@aol.com>]

In a message dated 98-04-19 03:15:25 EDT, sarima@ix.netcom.com writes:

<< I tend to think that perching per se is a rather late adaptation, only
 arrived at *after* flight had developed.  Most scansorial and arboreal
 animals I know of do NOT perch.  Even the "erect" posture so well known in
 squirrels is not really perching, as it is mostly engaged in on branches
 large enough to stand on in the normal way. >>

I agree, insofar as I think flight of a kind that required a perching
adaptation developed rather early--in the Triassic, certainly. But someone has
to take a close look at early theropod feet before this can be substantiated.
Perhaps perching is too specific a word for something that is more akin to
simply using the feet for grasping branches.