Re: Life of Birds (was Re: Armadillos at the K/T!)

["David Marjanovic" <david.marjanovic@gmx.at>]

> Many modern birds frequently flap their wings (forelimbs) to travel up
> tree-branches, with which they grasp with their feet (hindlimbs). Is this
> what you mean?

Does this mean grasping feet (at least a reversed hallux) are necessary for
vertical running? If so, vertical running can only have arisen after
arboreality, I'd say. How I wait for Czerkas' aye-aye dinosaur, which was
said onlist to have such feet...
        I'd also like to claim that this behaviour requires that the
wingstroke has already evolved and therefore does not explain it. I'll stop
here and wait for the paper, of course... :.-(

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