Re: Jeholornis - long-tailed bird in today's Nature

["Nicholas Gardner" <n_gardner637@hotmail.com>]

Tim Williams wrote:

> That's right - a bird with a long dromaeosaurid-like tail, complete
> with elongated and rod-like prezygapophyses and chevrons. _Jeholornis_ also 
> has a T-shaped lacrimal; toothless upper jaw with a few teeth in the lower 
> jaw (these are small and conical); short
> sternum; robust boomerang-like furcula; a forelimb to hindlimb ratio
> of about 1.2; three large and recurved unguals on the hand; a reversed 
> hallux; pedal claws consistent with perching; and a
> large claw on the second toe "reminiscent of the situation of 
> dromaeosaurids and troodontids".

Curious and rather unusual.

> Last rites for BAND?

Perhaps. :o)

=-=-=-=-=-=
Nick Gardner
AIM - CloudRaptor05
MSN - n_gardner637@hotmail.com


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