Re: BIRDS ARE SCARIER

[Tim Williams <tijawi@gmail.com>]

Paul P <turtlecroc@yahoo.com> wrote:


> I would love to see feathered dinosaurs in JP4, as long as
> they're done realistically. I just don't think it will happen
> because the producers know they risk ending up with something
> that looks silly rather than scary, although the phorusrhacid
> in Mysterious Island was pretty scary.



IMHO the _Dilophosaurus_ in JP looked silly rather than scary, with
its flamboyant neck frill.


For theropods in JP, I think feathered plumage offers more
opportunities for dramatic or visual effect than scaly skin.  In other
words, why not turn a necessity into a virtue?  Imagine a dromaeosaur
that suddenly spreads its wings as part of a threat posture, revealing
an eye-catching pattern on the wings' underside.  Then the dromaeosaur
strikes...


As well as being visually arresting, this scenario might actually be
realistic.  We know that _Velociraptor_ had quill knobs, so presumably
it had large forelimb feathers.  These feathers weren't used for
flight, and I doubt they were used in predation.  So maybe the
feathers were used in elaborate displays...?






Cheers

Tim