Re: FLIGHT VERSUS BROODING

["Jonathan R. Wagner" <znc14@TTACS.TTU.EDU>]

Greg Paul asked me to forward this to the list. 
>Again, I do not wish to get too deep into this for time reasons. But
>arboreality does not well explain the large sternal plates seen in small
>advanced theropods. For two reasons. First, climbers do not have such large
>bird-like plates. Next, arboreal animals tend to have reduced(!) limb muscles
>(Grand 1977), so they do not need large sterna. Increased attachment area for
>flight muscles, and increased ventilation of air-sacs needed to sustain
>flight, are the best explanations for the large sterna of these theropods. 
>
>GSPaul
>
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    Jonathan R. Wagner, Dept. of Geosciences, TTU, Lubbock, TX 79409-1053
                    "...To fight legends." - Kosh Naranek