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Re: Pterosaur Fur



I agree that it's moot, and you aren't mistaken, but even soft bat fur is capable of triggering a flow seperation. It doesn't take much to do that. Incidentally, the only bats that I'm aware of that have hair on the wings are solitary bats that don't sleep in tightly packed clusters, and they have it only on the undersurface of the inner wing where there is a flow separation anyway, Seems to be a case of a need for insulation superceding flight needs. As always, compromise rules.... For pterosaurs, I could see some uses for more 'bristlely' fur or fuzz along the upper juncture of the neck and shoulders, but don't remember if any actually have it.
JimC


----- Original Message ----- From: "MICHAEL HABIB" <habib@jhmi.edu>
To: <jrccea@bellsouth.net>
Cc: <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 3:07 PM
Subject: Re: Pterosaur Fur



It doesn't need structural strength, it simply
needs to trigger a flow

separation, which it would do quite well

I suspect that we are imagining different concepts of "fuzz", though perhaps I was simply mistaken. Basically, my thought was that hairs of any substantial length would simply buckle, and thus radically change in their orientation and effect on flow separation. But the issue is probably moot anyway.

In passing, the
hands
can also be used to trigger separation.

Good point.


Cheers,

--Mike H.