RE: Campbell's even crazier than a MANIAC?

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Mickey Mortimer wrote:


> Because "With the rotation
> of the digits and other modifications to the manus, the use of the unguals 
> for grasping in the traditional 
> sense was lost. That is, the use of the unguals to grasp prey, or vegetation 
> for climbing in the normal 
> manner, does not work because the unguals now point anteriad, ..." 


Silly question.... but how would _Archaeopteryx_ climb trees without using its 
hands "in the normal manner"?  Curiously, a climbing _Archaeopteryx_ has been 
integral to the idea of a "trees-down" origin of flight for birds, which 
Campbell (following Martin and Feduccia) are pushing - as opposed to a 
"ground-up" origin.    


(BTW, I'm not necessarily arguing against a "trees-down" origin of flight.  
However, despite what has sometimes been asserted, "trees-down" is not at odds 
with "ground-up" [because pro-avians may have exhibited both 'cursorial' and 
'arboreal' behaviors to varying degrees], and "trees-down" is entirely 
compatible with birds being theropod dinosaurs.)



Cheers

Tim
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