Re: The Life of Birds (was Re: vertical running)

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

Steve Brusatte wrote:

> Tim Williams wrote:
> >Even better: these two scenarios are not mutually exclusive.  The small
> >maniraptoran uses the enlarged pedal claw and stiffened tail to help 
> ascend
> >trees.  Once up there, it keeps an eye out for ground-dwelling prey.  
> When
> >prey is sighted below, the little predator jumps onto (or close to) the
> >prey, using its feathered forelimbs and tail to help negotiate the brief
> >descent.  The sickle-claw can then be put to deadly use.

> Goodness, I wish that I was able to attend this talk.  [snip]  I can't 
> >wait for this paper...

I'd like to point out the above paragraph is my own hypothesis 
(perch-and-pounce --> flight), and may or may not be corroborated by the 
vertical running hypothesis - lest the esteemed Ken Dial be entangled in my 
own loopy pet theories about how theropods came to fly.  I didn't see Ken's 
talk either :-(


And Tom Holtz wrote:

> Changing the subject, the latest in the walking sea mammal parade:
>
> Domning, D.P. 2001. The earliest known fully quadrupedal sirenian.  Nature
> 413: 625-627.

Yeah, yeah, this is all well and good.  But will you reptile paleontologists 
out there *please* get busy and discover a terrestrial ichthyosaur.  I've 
heard they may be lurking somewhere on the Bahamas.  Heck, I'm willing to 
have a look if nobody else will.


;-)


Tim

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