RE: Mesozoic snow?

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. wrote:

> > Yep - with the emphasis on 'undisputed'.  We have direct proof of 
> feathers
> > in _Archaeopteryx_, but not for any other pre-Cretaceous theropod (or
> > anything else, for that matter)
>
> Pedopenna is definitely feathered, and *might* be from the Middle Jurassic. 
> (Indeed, most of the Chinese paleos and geologists I have spoken to are 
> very certain about that date).

_Pedopenna_ is indisputably feathered - endowed as it is with those 
mysterious butt-fans.  But I guess we're not quite at the point where we can 
say that this guy is *indisputably* Jurassic.  It all hinges on the age of 
the Daohugou Beds.  I'm glad to hear that there is a consensus emerging on 
that point, though.  If these beds are of Middle Jurassic age, then 
_Epidendrosaurus_ (=_Scansoriopteryx_?) would be the earliest known bird - 
if Xu and Zhang (2005) are correct in referring _Epidendrosaurus_ to the 
bird clade.

Cheers

Tim