To Sprawl or Not to Sprawl?...

[MariusRomanus@aol.com]

A few days back, Scott Hartman presented some comments based on his 
observations of the microraptors in AMNH Novitate #3381, basically negating the 
possibility of the spread-eagle posture. I've begun to wonder if part of the 
idea of this sprawling posture was planted in peoples' minds due to finding 
basal birds such as *Confuciusornis* preserved with legs in a sprawled fashion. 
Is such a posture normal for dead birds? I am currently under the impression 
that it is not. Therefore, I'd like to pose a few questions to the list for 
those of you who can help me come to terms with what's actually going on here...

1. Is *Confuciusornis* frequently found preserved in a sprawling pose, its legs 
in a spread-eagle fashion like those of *Microraptor*? 

2. If the above is true, is this mode of preservation nothing but a simple 
artifact of their burial, in stead of being an indication of the animal's 
biomechanics?  Also, if this is just a quirky artifact of their burial, what is 
causing this seemingly unique mode of posture preservation?

Kris
http://hometown.aol.com/Saurierlagen/Paleo-Photography.html