Re: Longisquama

[Raymond Ancog <rayancog@pacific.net.ph>]

Dinogeorge wrote:
>
>How do you >know< that the integumentary structures on Sinosauropteryx and 
>the other Chinese finds are "an ideal pre-feather stage"? How would you 
>recognize such a stage in the fossil record? How do you know that what you 
>see in Sinosauropteryx are "pre-feathers" and aren't, e.g., modified "true" 
>feathers? Why would you think that the resemblance between Longisquama
dermal 
>structures and feathers is "superficial," but the resemblance between 
>Sinosauropteryx dermal structures and feathers is not?

The Chinese finds, by all accounts, appear better preserved (having read
Currie et al's papers) than _Longisquama_, making comparisons better. And
was it generally accepted at the Ostrom conference that the Chinese taxa do
have very feather-like insulation?


Raymond Thaddeus C. Ancog
Mines and Geosciences Bureau
Philippines