Re: Russian Dinosaurs in T.O.: Longisquama

[Silvio Renesto <renesto@mailserver.unimi.it>]

> And another question.  Sorry, what were these structures supposed to be 
> used for?  They seem spaced a bit far apart to me much use for 
> gliding/parachuting.  How about for display?
IMHO display either for mating or for threatening of potential predators is 
probably the best interpretation for the elongate appendages of Longisquama.
On the other hand parachuting might be feasible. The fluffy tail of 
squirrels helps when they accidentally fall from branches even if has is 
probably not evolved for that task.
  Haubold and Buffetaut (1987) proposed that Longisquama was able to 
spread out the plume-like appendages at its sides forming a sort of gliding 
"wing" like in kueheneosaurid/coelurosauravid/ Draco. This gliding 
apparatus would perhaps  have been uneffective, I suspect, owing to the 
lack of a continuous  surface. Thus I prefer to stick to the display.
Cheers,

                                        Silvio



_
"The Wise Man is like a bamboo tree;
                simple, upright, and useful, but hollow inside"

                                                Lao Tzu

Silvio Renesto

Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra
Università degli Studi di Milano
Via Mangiagalli 34
I 20133 Milano
Italy
phone +39-02-50315511
fax     +39-02-50315494
e-mail:  renesto@mailserver.unimi.it
        Silvio.Renesto@unimi.it
have a look at our Triassic  website at
http://users.unimi.it/vertpal/index.htm