Chinese dinobirds

["Norton, Patrick" <Patrick.Norton@state.me.us>]

Jeff Hecht wrote:

>the National Geographic reconstructions of longish arm feathers   
insufficient for flight brings to mind Tom Hopp's suggestion at Dinofeat   
(and earlier today on the list) that wing feathers could have evolved for   
brooding.<

<Snip>

> They may be consistent with other behaviors as well<

I've suggested earlier on this list that such feathers would be extremely   
advantageous in hunting and combat--a derivitive of the display and   
fighting hypothesis published earlier by Richard Cowen and Jere Lipps.   
 Birds such as the roadrunner and the caracara use their wing and tail   
feathers to fluster prey and to enhance mobility during combat--and   
almost all birds fight on the ground. And it's the tail and forearm   
feathers that appear most modified in the recent Chinese   
specimens--particularly Caudipteryx.  As Cowen pointed out, such flapping   
during combat or display is ideal pre-flight training--and all at   
essentially zero ground speed.