Re: FUCHSIA and the Ostrom Symposium Volume (short!)

[Luis Rey <luisrey@ndirect.co.uk>]

David Marjanovic wrote:

> Guess what, I really managed to completely forget the Wing Assisted Incline
> Running model :-] which, so far, sounds very good. <meditation> W4tP...
> W4tP... so far I can't say anything against it.

Which for me is still THE model.
Evolution is never a straight line... it has its ups and downs, twists and
turns. It is specially more evident when  the product is showing an animal
with a lower part of the body  mostly adapted for running and the upper part
has developed  wings >without< membranes attached to the lower limbs.
The dinobird exhibition in London has Ken Dial's video of the Wing Assisted
Incline Running model running non-stop. The slow motion up-running chicks are
absolutely convincing, but it  also includes an animation of a 'dinobird' (I
assume it's Dave) that shows the possible use  of its 'wings' but strangely
enough the model (looks like a typical old fashioned little dinosaur with a
scanty coat and wings) lacks any tail feathers  that could have been acting as
rudders or stabilisers, contradicting practically all the available evidence.
The tail of the animated model is virtually naked!
There's always a detail missing...


Luis Rey

Visit my website on http://www.ndirect.co.uk/~luisrey