Re: Feather Flap

[dinoboygraphics@aol.com]

> > > If people like Scott are right and taxa like Archaeopteryx and 
Microraptor with unreversed halluces were still terrestrial, the most 
basal arboreal maniraptorans would be jeholornithids and 
omnivoropterygids. The latter clades preserve seeds and gastroliths in 
their body cavities, indicating at least partially herbivorous 
habits.<<<


I would side with Tim in that seed-eating is not necessarily indicative 
of arboreal habbitats. Seeds can and do fall to the forest floor, where 
even fully arborreal volant birds will go after them if their density 
and gathering costs are more favorable than the seeds still in the 
trees.

Jeholornis does not seem to exhibit any particular adapations to 
arboreality either. I'm more agnostic on omnivopterids. Certainly a 
little higher up the tree (word-play intended) you start seeing early 
birds aquire characters that are specializations for abroreality, so it 
doesn't seem to take too long once birds really get "going" in their 
radiation.



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
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