WHAT IS PROTOAVIS?

["Matthew Troutman" <m_troutman@hotmail.com>]

Sorry if I haven't responded to many emails recently, I'm having some 
problems with my computer (just on problem after another to be exact).

<<The drawing of a full skeleton of protavis just doesnt look right or seem 
to support flight as said in the text. The arms are much shorter than 
Archaeopteryx or modern birds that size, the bones are also thicker. The 
ribs are thick as well. And the claws of the hind legs are very large, 
unlike the thin legs of later early birds. I think that is protoavis was a 
bird, it was more like a chicken than any flying bird, which really wouldnt 
make sense at that stage in evolution.>>

Most critics of _Protoavis_ state that the material is crushed and 
imcomplete, something which I cannot vouch for.  Clearly the material is 
interesting but more is needed to clear up what exactly that thing is (see 
Padian and Chiappe, 1998 for an excellent discussion of the issue).

As for your text above, I don't exactly know what you're getting at, but I 
can say that the 'flight' adaptations can just as easily be gliding (if you 
have ever seen a _Cynocephalus_ skeleton you would know what I'm talking 
about) or even climbing.

And, oh, BTW, birds are archosaurs so your statement that _Protoavis_ could 
be some sort of archosaur is correct, but I doubt that is what you meant.

Matt Troutman
m_troutman@hotmail.com


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