Re: A Word on ABSRD

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

Ken

I agree with 90% of what you say.  Personally, I would be thrilled if birds 
evolved in the Triassic and that many (?most) of the ground-dwelling 
maniraptorans (tyrannosaurs, oviraptorosaurs, the whole box and dice) are 
their secondarily flightless descendents.  But the birds did NOT evolve from 
_Megalancosaurus_.  That is the point of ABSRD.

I?m sure Feduccia and Martin are wonderful people, and they sure keep the 
theropod experts honest.  I just have some queries about their methodology.  
Far be it from me to lump respected scientists in with crackpot 
pseudoscientists - basically I was using the example of phrenology to 
highlight the folly of pummeling facts to fit a theory.

Anyway, thanks for your comments!

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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