Re: solnhofen

["Tim Williams" <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

David Marjanovic wrote:

> It was 2 -- 3 times as long as *Archaeopteryx*, IIRC (1.4 m when adult). I
> suppose the lepidosaurs were mostly to big for Archie, no?

I don't see why Archie couldn't have tackled prey of this size.  
_Archaeopteryx_'s feet and jaws (and perhaps its hands as well, though it 
risked sullying the wing feathers) would have been quite effective at 
ripping the lizard/sphenodont into smaller pieces.

> Perhaps _Archaeopteryx_ did include fish
> in
> > its diet; but it certainly wasn't specialized for piscivory.
>
> Otherwise it would have had to compete with *Compsognathus*...

I'm sure there was enough small-sized prey to go around on that little 
island they shared.  And Archie could always fly to another island if food 
started to get scarce.

Dan Bensen is probably correct; _Archaeopteryx_ wasn't too fussy in its 
choice of prey.

_Allosaurus_, _Torvosaurus_, _Ceratosaurus_, _Stokesosaurus_ and 
_Marshosaurus_ all apparently coexisted in the same habitat, and all 
probably fed largely (if not exclusively) on terrestrial prey.  (Were there 
any fish-eating theropods in the Jurassic?)


> > Could it be David that you have some particular motive for trying to tie
> > _Archaeopteryx_ to the water...?  ;-)
>
> Sure! I can't explain the evolution of the wingstroke otherwise! :-)

Generation of thrust, in a terrestrial cursor (a la Burgers and Chiappe, 
1999) or in an arboreal parachuter or glider.  Either way, the wingstroke 
was co-opted from the predatory stroke.


Tim


------------------------------------------------------------

Timothy J. Williams

USDA/ARS Researcher
Agronomy Hall
Iowa State University
Ames IA 50014

Phone: 515 294 9233
Fax:   515 294 3163

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