Re: neoflightless dinosaurs

[John Conway <john_conway@mac.com>]

On Sunday, September 29, 2002, at 12:26  AM, GSP1954@aol.com wrote:

> So the conventional hypothesis is deceased. There are two
> alternatives. Dromaeosaurs split off before the Archy-bird clade and
> developed advanced flight independently. Or, Archaeopteryx split off 
> before
> the dromy-bird clade and the sickle-claws inherited advanced flight 
> from
> basal birds. Both are definitely plausible.

What about a third hypothesis: Archy is more closely related to modern 
birds, but flight developed earlier, before the Dromy + Aves node. So 
both may have inherited advanced flight, but were in the process of 
losing it.

Just playing devils advocate. (But before you ask, my favourite movie 
is not King Kong. :-))


John Conway, Palaeoartist

"All art is quite useless." - Oscar Wilde

Systematic ramblings: http://homepage.mac.com/john_conway/
Palaeoart: http://homepage.mac.com/john_conway/_palaeoart.html