RE: Did dinosaur wings evolve for breeding display?/Longisquama

[Jaime Headden <qi_leong@hotmail.com>]

Dave Peters wrote:



  It is not clear that this is authentic association, however, since while 
apparently some frilliness is in ONE taxon that ONE individual associated with 
*Longisquama*, the material in *L.* is so far unique to itself in nature. That 
the integumentary structures (if they are indeed integumentary in origin) have 
a super and substructure that is unique, positing similarities due to an 
inferred relationship is unsound. It would help if we found an unfaked skeleton 
with associated structures and in a better state of preservation, and/or some 
method to determine the method of implantation of these structures in the body.



  New assessment of the structures, and a unique, fresher perspective? Or the 
fact that Reisz and Sues were speculative, but Voight et al. were more concrete 
and used new machines to assist their analysis?



  These "fronds", if they are integumentary in origin, have nothing to do with 
wings in *Longisquama*. As such, they are (or should) not have any bearing on 
the origin of pterosaur wing structure. More consistently, you see lizards 
using their spines and skulls for breeding displays, and ribs for aerial 
maneuverability, and ne'er do the twain meet it seems.

  Cheers,

Jaime A. Headden

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