Re: Follow-up: the truth about killer dinosaurs

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Michael Lovejoy wrote:

> David Marjanovic wrote: 'Why does almost everyone who draws beakless
> feathered dinosaurs let the  feathers stop at the lacrimal? <rant>'
>
> Because modern predatory birds' feathers stop at the lacrimal! The maxilla
> is almost always naked, but it's easy to miss as the max is so reduced in
> favour of that huge great beaky pre-max.

Feathers are a bitch to clean.  For this reason, the head and necks of 
carrion-eating birds are almost entirely devoid of feathers.  Vultures and 
the marabou stork spend their lives sticking their heads inside carcasses 
(in the case of some vultures, the head goes in the carcass through the 
anus, which provides an accessible orifice).  Predatory birds are usually 
more particular, but the same rule applies.  It makes sense to avoid having 
feathers in places where they can be sullied by blood and offal.

Cheers

Tim