Re: ORNITHOLOGISTS.. THINK?

[ornstn@inforamp.net (Ronald Orenstein)]

 Old school ornithologists seem to hate dinosaurs, and assign
>them to the rank of irrelevant reptiles - why, who knows? That's the only
reason
>there's been so much rubbish published on crocodiles and other pseudosuchians
>as bird ancestors, not because the guys really have a *good* case (i.e. better
>than a theropod link). 

One of the best recent textbooks on ornithology, "Ornithology" by Frank B.
Gill, reviews the various theories, leans towards the dino view (and
provides a restoration of Longisquama, BTW) - unfortunately it does not
mention maniraptors.  He does refer to "coelurosaurs" (stating that these
figure prominently in Jurassic Park!).

Bear in mind, of course, that most ornithologists work only with birds, and
on areas that do not require them to consider bird ancestry - just as I
imagine most mammalogists are not too knowledgeable about Permian synapsids.
--
Ronald I. Orenstein                           Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home)
International Wildlife Coalition              Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home)
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