Re: On the Issue of Sprawling Dromaeosaurs

["Richard W. Travsky" <rtravsky@uwyo.edu>]

On Thu, 27 May 2004, Eric Martichuski wrote:
> >From: Ralph Miller
> >And this is one reason why I would expect the lengthy hindlimb wing 
> >feathers of little basal dromaeosaurs to serve some function in aerial 
> >activity, even if we don't understand precisely how the hindlimbs would 
> >come into play.
> 
> I've very little to offer to this debate, but looking at all the arguments 
> from a layman's perspective, I wonder if this image might not be somewhat 
> analogous to how the feathers could be incorporated into a useful areofoil 
> without an extreme flattening of the legs.
> 
> http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~marcsulf/nato/predator.gif
> 
> The Predator UAV has those two rudders(?) in back, oriented ventrally 
> (making the whole thing look mildly upside down).  Our hypothetical 
> flyer/glider could imitate that profile with minimal "sprawl", just letting 
> the legs dangle, possibly even pulled apart solely by the air rushing 
> between them (to forestall the need for muscular adaptations, just a slight 
> loosening of the joints.  Not even as drastic as the wren.)
> 
> The exact usefulness of the position, I cannot say, but the parallel images 
> still make for an interesting analogy.
> 
> ::throws 2 cents in::
 
Interesting observation. Does anyone do wind tunnel work on birds and
other critters like dromeosaurs? Not models like the UAV, but one done
up with feathers etc?