Re: Mesozoic snow?

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

Dora Smith wrote:

> Common sense does lead one to wonder how feathers were an advantage if the
> temperatures continued to be tropical.

Insulation works both ways; it can keep heat in, or it can keep heat
out. Hence why all but the largest of African mammals maintain some sort
of insulatory covering (mole rats being the exception).

Also in some hot climates, the nights can be extremely cold, so
insulation works both ways within the same 24 hour period (keeping heat
out during the day, and in during the night).

Of course that assumes that protofeathers originally developed for
insulatory purposes (which is a big assumption)...

-- 
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Dann Pigdon
GIS / Archaeologist         http://www.geocities.com/dannsdinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia        http://heretichides.soffiles.com
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