Re: [Re: [Re: Feathered/scaly theropods: trying to make the point.]]

[archosaur@usa.net]

HPB1956@aol.com wrote:

>   If feathery integumentary structures where added later on due to     >  
vagaries of the process of fossilation? Then we should have found    >   also
some other groups of "feathered" fossils (e.g. frogs). But so    >   far only
(nonavian) dinosaurs and birds where found with such.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Couldn't it have been contamination that occured at the time of fossilization
and not later (e.g. they fell on some funky plant?) and not have occured later
on. As for non-dinosaurian finds with this integument, I agree that if this
was contamination then we should see it on other taxons, and I wouldn't be
surprised if we already have, but overlooked it. When was the last time one
heard of any non-dinosaurian/non-avian finds from that locations. 

So far I've heard of a possible ornithopod and that one pteradactyl, but
that's it. 

Why pterosaurs don't want to preserve anything upon fossilization is beyond
me. Even ramphorhynchoides in Solnholfen don't seem to preserve fur.

____________________________
"David Marjanovic" <david.marjanovic@gmx.at> wrote:

> Several nondinosaurian diapsids (Monjurosuchus, Hyphalosaurus) as well > as
AFAIK Psittacosaurus from the same sites have preserved scales.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

So I'm told; does anyone have the refs to these finds. I'd love to see these
guys myself.

__________________________

HPB1956@aol.com wrote:


> Another point, how would you explain that the integument of birds where 
> preserved correctly, while that of (nonavian) dinosaurs wasn't?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I'm not sure if they were. I've been trying to find the _Confusciornis_ paper,
but have had no luck and fear it might be in a Chinese journal, in which case
I'm out of luck. I don't know of any other bird finds there (excluding recent
mentions on the list).

Jura




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