Re: Archaeopteryx not the first bird, is the earliest known (powered) flying dinosaur

["T. Michael Keesey" <keesey@gmail.com>]

On 12/6/05, Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Gregory S. Paul wrote:
>
>
> >The wings of sinornithosaurs were certainly inferior to those of flightless
> >dromaeosaurs as hunting organs.
>
> I don't see how, unless you argue that the long forelimb feathers interfered
> with hunting - which is possible, but (of course) difficult to test.

It's also worth pointing out that we don't know how long forelimb
feathers were in any dromaeosaurid sensu stricto (i.e.,
clade(_Dromaeosaurus_ + _Velociraptor_)). They were certainly too big
to fly, but this didn't prevent _Beipiaosaurus_ from having somewhat
long forelimb feathers or _Protarchaeopteryx_ and _Caudipteryx_ from
having actual wings.
--
Mike Keesey
The Dinosauricon: http://dino.lm.com
Parry & Carney: http://parryandcarney.com