RE: Campbell's even crazier than a MANIAC? (archeopteryx climbing)

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

Last night's episode of Attenborough's 'Life of Mammals' was especially 
interesting, as Sir Dave looked 
at several (albeit) mammalian species that habitually climb, but don't look as 
if they have any specific 
climbing adaptations. The footage of the rabbit-like hyraxes scampering about 
in trees was especially 
impressive - not to mention the hilarious footage of them lazing about in deck 
chairs in an African 
holiday resort. Sir Dave even helped out a meerkat sentry by allowing it to 
stand to attention on his 
shoulder while he talked to the camera.

Watching a sun bear scooting up a trunk was almost like watching an overweight 
fuzzy tailess 
theropod. The clawed hands gripped the trunk palms-inward, while the hind feet 
walked up the trunk in 
a purely sagittal plane (no rotating of the ankles at all). It was easy to 
imagine an Archaeopteryx doing 
something similar, whether to reach cycad fruit, forage in the crown for 
insects, or to gain altitude for a 
lemur-style (leap sideways and twist) launch.

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Dann Pigdon
GIS / Archaeologist              http://geo_cities.com/dannsdinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia             http://heretichides.soffiles.com
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