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

[don ohmes <d_ohmes@yahoo.com>]

Actually, if feathers served as camoflage, then they
would enhance 
hunting, particularly ambush predation.

Don

--- "T. Michael Keesey" <keesey@gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
>