Re: bauplan convergence

[Betty Cunningham <bettyc@flyinggoat.com>]

I'm not positive but I think ibises do the hoppy flappy wing thing. 
Many birds such as grouse and chickens and so on do an out-streatched
wing shuffleing dance thing to attract the babes.  Cranes do that
holding back the head and spreading the wings thing as a courtship
ritual too.

Wings are a major portion of MANY bird mating displays.  It seems
likel;y that's what proto-feathered owings were for before flight.  And
the hoppy flappy thing seems most likley to introduce launch situations
to such animals.

I'd forgotten who suggested this onlist, but I didn't originate the
idea.  It just makes a hell of a lot of sense to me.

-Betty

Martin Human wrote:
> 
> From: Betty Cunningham wrote
> 
> I still put a vote behind the protofeather sexual display hopping thing
> for wing development; which is niether trees up or trees down, really.
> It makes more evolutionary sense to have a pre-flight-capable wing for
> making pretty, that later develops flight-worthiness, than a post-flight
> flipper developing flight-worthiness does...
> 
> >I have visions of those (I think) Capercailles(?) which leap up from the
> ground and flash their wings in display....is that what you have in mind?
> 
> cheers, m

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