Re: Feathered Theropods -Reprise

["Jaime A. Headden" <qilongia@yahoo.com>]

Truett Garner wrote:

<My basic problem with feathered Oviraptorids or Dromaeosaurids has to
do with size in both animals. I understand that Oviraptorids and
Dromaeosaurids are considered 'small' theropods, but are they not both
larger than the feathered theropods from China? In other words, what
is the upper size limit in which insulation (discounting display
purposes) becomes unnecessary in an endothermic dinosaur living in a
fairly equable environment?>

  Let's put it this way, first: what oviraptorosaurs or dromaeosaurs
are smaller than the largest living feathered bird? All but
*Utahraptor* and the new giant oviraptorosaur (or whatever); smaller
than the largest-ever feathered bird? All are smaller tan or of size
with *Dinornis*, the largest moa. It is assumable, if I'm not
mistaken, that because *Euryapteryx* mummies were found with feathers,
so would *Dromornis* be feathered? It's parsimonious, no?

  How large is the smallest of these fellows in relations to birds
that lived in an equable environment? *Deinonychus* in a flood plain,
size of a wolf; *Dromeosaurus* in a swamp, size of a medium-sized dog;
*Microvenator* in a flood plain (if oviraptorosaur) is the size of a
cat; there are comparable-sized birds.

  Swamp birds like herons and egrets, floodplain birds like some wrens
and the savannah fauna of south and central Africa (like the Transvaal
or Malawi). All are well feathered. I restore my small theropods both
ways, feathered and non, even in specific genera as *Oviraptor*,
though I restore all my pterosaurs with hair-like integument. Oh well.

  And *Caudipteryx* was larger than *Conchoraptor* and
*Caenagnathasia*, both cat-sized or slightly smaller or larger.

==
Jaime A. Headden

Qilong, the website, at:
http://members.tripod.com/~Qilong/qilong.html
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All comments and criticisms are welcome!

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