Re: Archaeopteryx

[Nick Pharris <npharris@umich.edu>]

Quoting Dinogeorge@aol.com:

> If a "frame-shift" can be shown to happen from time to time in other 
> lineages, then you have a much stronger case for its occurrence in the
> dinosaur-avian 
> lineage. 

Do I seem to remember that kiwis sometimes develop digits I and II, and 
sometimes II and III (or, if you prefer, II and III as opposed to III and IV)?

I think Mike is right, though:  the manual digits of _Allosaurus_, 
_Struthiomimus_, _Deinonychus_, or _Troodon_ are pretty clearly homologous to 
those of birds.  It's basal forms like _Eoraptor_ or _Herrerasaurus_ that you 
have to worry about.

Nick Pharris
Department of Linguistics
University of Michigan