RE: Archaeopteryx flight

["Tracy L. Ford" <dino.hunter@home.com>]

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of Zoe
Heraklides
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 12:57 PM
To: dinosaur@usc.edu
Cc: Dinogeorge@aol.com
Subject: Re: Archaeopteryx flight


George Olshevsky (dinogeorge@aol.com) writes:

>Which, naturally, is why Dilophosaurus-grade theropods retained an
>opposable
>pollex while in the process of acquiring the opposable hallux. In
>ceratosaurs, the hallux is not as distal and not as retroverted as in the
>more derived tetanuran theropods--in which the pollex is no longer
>opposable
>and the hand had completely lost its fourth digit (metacarpal included). As
>the forelimb became more winglike, the feet took over more of the climbing
>functions that originally were shared by both sets of limbs.

In my studies of the manus (pl.) of theropods I don't see anything that
renders the hand of tetanurines/maniraptorans any less opposible than  that
of ceratosaurs. Care to educate me?

Regards

People, people, the hallux is on the FOOT. The backward facing toe on birds.
It's not the hand.

Tracy L. Ford
P. O. Box 1171
Poway Ca  92074