Re: SPECULATION (WAS Re: Jurassic Park)

[Betty Cunningham <bettyc@flyinggoat.com>]

FYI: Ostrich skins look bumpy as the size of the feather shaft is
HUMONGUS compared to that of flying birds.  
Chicken skins (which were used for fans by the wacky Victoran Europeans)
are fairly smooth and less bumpy than pig skin. 
Most birds' feather shafts are much smaller proportionally and leave
even less of a trace on the skin than this.

-Betty Cunningham

Peter Von Sholly wrote:
> I was just
> thinking that bird skin, under the feathers, can look bumpy and pebbly,
> even scaly in places (legs, feet). If we found a fossil turkey, would we
> see any trace of its feathers?  I realized that this would depend on the
> conditions after death which led to preservation, but is it possible that
> the feathers would rot, fall out, etc. leaving just bumpry wrinkled skin-
> the potential "impression" of which might not tell us that feathers had
> been present.  Any thoughts or info?