Re: Aquatic Origin of birds (was Aquatic spinosaurs (was Size of *Neoceratodus africanus*))

[Amtoine Grant <rascienz@shaw.ca>]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't the earliest specimens of  
Archaeopteryx found in aquatic  deposits from ecosystems relatively  
devoid of trees? Factoring in Archie's crocodilian/spinosaurid-like  
(pisciviorous?) conical-esque teeth and the possible non-feathering  
of the humerus, this theory is only held back ever so slightly by the  
fact that the tail was already fully feathered.

On 3-May-09, at 5:53 PM, Erik Boehm wrote:

> Hmm.... Webbed theropod feet...
>
> That gave me an idea
>
> Many bird feet are webbed today.
> Many birds use their wings as flippers...
> Pterosaur wings were initially thought to be flippers...
> Many birds use their wings to both fly and swim...
>
> With all the discussion about WAIR, trees down/ground up flight,  
> display, etc....
>
> Has anyone suggested bird-like feathers + wings evolved first as  
> flippers?
>
> I'm imagining some little pre-maniraptor Coelosaur swimming around  
> with feathered arm-flippers?
> Possibly evolving flight capacity in a way vaguely reminiscent of a  
> flying fish?
> Maybe very early takeoffs weren't done by running/leaping from the  
> ground, but rather from the water's surface like a loon?
> ....
> Could small swimming/aquatic dinosaurs have lead to small flying/ 
> volant dinosaurs?
>
> I think small aquatic dino-birds might not fossilize too well, and  
> wouldn't leave much evidence..
>
> Has this been suggested before?