*Longisquama* Furcula?

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

  The prescence of a furcula in *Longisquama*, I
guess, can be argued until a publication of a
re-examination of the type takes place, but until then
...

  Quite a few things, actually:

  1.  Given the nature of the avian furcula as a
spring device to aid in wingbeats and/or respiration,
and the total lack of any forelimb adaptation in
*Longisquama* for gliding, active or passive flying,
powered flight, etc., what would be the funtional use
of a furcula in an animal that -- to my eyes -- looks
a lot like the drepanosaurs and megalancosaurs, and
like them, like a chameleon (that's arboreal, not
aerial). In such an animal, the forelimbs and shoulder
girdles must swing forward and back to accomodate
locomotion, and a furcula would only hinder this. Even
terrestrial lizards swings the shoulders to walk, and
so does *Draco*, the flying lizard.

  2.  The location of these feather-like structures on
the back show a lack of attachment to the shoulder
girdle, so they could not have interacted
functionally. The only likely connection would have
been attachment of M. lattissimus dorsi or M.
trapezoideus to the shoulder and [upper] back and then
to the scapulae. But a furcula, functionally, would
not seem to aid in this function.

  Thus, to my eyes, a furcula in *Longisquama* would
serve no aerial purpose to the extent of my knowledge
of the functions thereof [big disclaimer, folks].
Furthermore, hypotheses of the function of a furcula
as an aerial adaptation fall short of proving
*Longisquama* a theropod or dinosaur.

  My thoughts on the matter,

===
Jaime A. Headden

"May I lure us, ere the mote ends us?"

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