Re: Waders and fishers

["Nick Gardner" <ratites637@hotmail.com>]

Dr. Martin Baeker wrote-
> My question now is: Where are all the dinosaurian waders and fishers?
>
> I see four possibilities:
>
> They are there and I just don't know about them (most probable).
>
> They were there but did not fossilize (that I would find strange,
> because shore animals should fossilize well).
>
> They were not there because there were less fishes around in the mesozoic. 
> (I have next to no clue on fish evolution.)
>
> They were not there and the niche was unexploited at the time. (And that I 
> would find most strange).

I believe in this case, that first possibility may be it.  Coelophysids, 
spinosaurids, Compsognathus, Masiakasaurus, Caudipteryx, and Archaeopteryx 
(and other basal birds) have all been suggested to have been fishers.  Also, 
segnosaurs were originally suggested to have been fish-eating.  I presume 
this concept was overturned by the discovery of more complete remains?  I 
know that oviraptorids have been suggested as capable of crushing and 
devouring shellfish, but I don't know if anyone has done any real work in 
supporting or rebutting this concept.  Ornithomimids were suggested as 
filter-feeding waders in a Nature article, but I don't know the exact 
reference and hasn't this been rebutted?

Good day,
Nick Gardner

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