Re: PALEONEWS:Dinosaur-bird link smashed

[WILLIAM PARKER <wgp@dana.ucc.nau.edu>]

The release of this story is unfortunate and unfairly titled.  I agree
with George that this is total rubbish and is sure to damage the hard
work that many people have done.  This story has the tone that "all"
previous feathered finds could be or are fraudulent. I realize that no
wrong was intentionally done by NG and the Czerkas, but expect opponents
of the dinobird-theory to use this as fuel for their side and get ready
to see this mentioned over and over.  Unfortunately the average USA
today reader will believe what they have read in the newspaper to be the
"truth" regarding the subject.  It will be hard to re-educate them on
the subject again.  Below is a snippet of a post I wrote in October...


> After the extremely interesting feathered Therizinosaur talk at SVP I
> returned home to find the new issue of National Geographic with an
> article on these newest finds.  Some great specimens seem to be coming
> out of Liaoning at an alarming rate.  With all the specimens pouring
> out, including a number of illegal specimens, it seems that there is now
> high potential for forgeries of these feathered specimens.  I would hope
> that each specimen is being as rigorously examined as was the original
> Sinosauropteryx specimen.  A fake at this point could be damaging
> especially when specimens now seem to be hitting the press before they
> have been formally described (eg. Archaeoraptor liaoningensis).  

_____________________
Bill Parker
Department of Geology
Northern Arizona University
Box 4099
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
______________________