Re: FW: The ground-nowhere hypothesis on the origin of bird flight

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

On Sun, Oct 11th, 2009 at 3:40 AM, dale mcinnes <wdm1949@hotmail.com> wrote:

> That scenario may well
> have started from the trees down with the proavis jumping upon
> its prey leopard style.

I've seen lots of leopard hunting footage over the years, but I've never seen a 
leopard leap onto 
prey from above.

I've seen them stalking ungulates on the ground, and pursuing arborial prey 
like baboons up into 
the trees (where the leopard attacks from beneath), but I've never seen them 
attack *downwards*.

Do they infact ever leap downwards onto substantial prey? Given that they 
generally suffocate 
large prey to death, I don't see the practicality of them attacking from 
anywhere but underneath.

-- 
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Dann Pigdon
GIS / Archaeologist                Australian Dinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia               http://home.alphalink.com.au/~dannj
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