Re: birds DID NOT evolve from therapods

["Jordan Mallon" <j_mallon@hotmail.com>]

> From: "Primal Dude" <primal_dude@hotmail.com>

> Such self-appointed ?experts? as Thomas Holtz, Jaime Haedden, Mickey
> Mortimer, Tim Williams, and George Olshevky seem barely able to disguise 
> theiur contempt for such a esteemed, world-respected >scientist as John 
> Ruben.

Self-appointed experts?  I think not.  Thom Holtz Jr. and George Olshevski 
have been noted dinosaur luminaries for some time now.  Their opinions are 
well respected the world-round.  And having been exposed to the views of 
Headden, Mortimer, Williams, and the like, it is my not so humble opinion 
that they certainly know what they're talking about.

> Case in point, from MM:
>
> > Maderson, Hillenius, Martin, Ruben, Jones and Geist, 2001. >Reconstructing
> > Longisquama skin. JVP 21(3) 76A.
> > The most amusing abstract by far.  The poster was decorated with >colorful
> > spiral graphs and frowning faces.  Apparently they realize >they will 
> > never
> > convince anyone Longisquama has feathers, so now they >are termed
> > "parafeathers".  Not only this, but Longisquama also is >said to have
> > parasheaths, paracalami, pararachis, parabarbs and >paraveins.
> > Parabelievable.
>
> Laugh all you want buddy. Ruben and his colleagues now far more about 
> vertebrate metabolism than you ever will.

What in the world did Mickey's post have anything to do with metabolism?  
He's doubting the validity of _Longisquama_'s "feathers", here, not whether 
or not it was "warm-blooded" or what have you.

> Therapod dinosaurs were COLD-BLOODED.

Oh, okay.  Thanks for clearing that up.

> Didn?t you read his two papers in Science...???

What papers?  I would like a ref to those, please.

> Not content with putting feathers on therapods now you want to put wings on 
> them as well.

Why not?  We've recently found it to be true.

> Yeah, that?s right Tom ? velociraptor could fly. Just like Superman. Dream 
> on!

Statements like that make it obvious that you don't understand the 
contention behind the argument.

> JH - your nonsense about therapod biomechanics only reveals the extant of 
> your ignorance

I would be interested in hearing what you have to say on theropod 
biomechanics.  Again, Jaime's is one of the most respected voices on this 
list.

> You therapod people are living in a fantasy world. Get back to earth and 
> join the rest of us!!!

Yeah, all five of ya.

Ugh!  It's not so much that I have a problem with the people who still cling 
to this non-dinosaurian precursor to birds, but when one has the tenacity to 
slander these people whom they don't even know... that just angers me.

I'm done.

-Jordan Mallon

http://www.geocities.com/paleoportfolio/

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