Re: Hone and Benton 2007 (their second paper)

[dinoboygraphics@aol.com]

> > > Depends what you mean by "arboreal"? Are you saying that 
_Archaeopteryx_ was not arboreal because it lacked perching 
adaptations?

In a previous post, Jim Cunningham stated that goats were arboreal 
because they can climb trees. But what goats do is hook their hooves 
over branches and clamber up the tree (not very elegantly). However, 
goats do not habitually climb trees and they show no specific 
adaptations to either scansoriality or arboreality. <<<

Fair enough!  Actually, the idea that Archaeopteryx didn't go up trees 
terribly frequently, except to gain altitude for a launch does not 
bother me at all.  I was merely challenging the uncritical acceptance 
that Archaeopteryx could fly...and will continue until someone bothers 
to test it.

In point of fact Archaeopteryx almost certainly could go up some types 
of trees.  My problem is that there is little or no phylogenetic 
evidence that supports this; that is, Archaeopteryx does not exhibit 
any evolutionary specializations for arboreality relative to its 
ancestors.  Arguing that abroreal behavior "still may have happened" is 
all too often a non-testable response to avoid looking at other 
hypotheses.  Of course it may have been true, but considering how many 
adapations later avians show for living in trees, it sort of feels like 
special pleading to argue that Archaeopteryx "could have" despite the 
lack of positive evidence.


Scott Hartman
Science Director
Wyoming Dinosaur Center
110 Carter Ranch Rd.
Thermopolis, WY 82443
(800) 455-3466 ext. 230
Cell: (307) 921-8333

www.skeletaldrawing.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>
To: dinosaur@usc.edu
Sent: Sun, 3 Jun 2007 6:21 pm
Subject: Re: Hone and Benton 2007 (their second paper)


Scott Hartman wrote:Â
Â
> Or, since it shows no arborreal adaptations, would it be more 
parsimonious >to assume it didn't take off, period?Â
Â
Depends what you mean by "arboreal"? Are you saying that 
_Archaeopteryx_ was not arboreal because it lacked perching 
adaptations?Â
Â
In a previous post, Jim Cunningham stated that goats were arboreal 
because they can climb trees. But what goats do is hook their hooves 
over branches and clamber up the tree (not very elegantly). However, 
goats do not habitually climb trees and they show no specific 
adaptations to either scansoriality or arboreality.Â
Â
CheersÂ
Â
TimÂ
Â
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