Re: CROCODYLOMORPH ENDOTHERMY

["Nicholas J. Pharris" <pharrinj@PLU.edu>]

On Wed, 24 Jan 1996 Dinogeorge@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 96-01-24 10:36:13 EST, dwn194@soton.ac.uk (D.W.Naish)
> writes:
> 
> >This is not a new idea, and has been proposed several times in view of the
> >erect
> >gait and 'active air' of the earliest crocodylomorphs - _Sphenosuchus_ and
> >such.
> >Hans Sues, for example, implies it in the evolution section of the Merehurst
> >Crocodiles book. 
> 
> All modern crocs retain the elongate proximal carpal bones (yes, carpal
> bones) of their long-and-slender-limbed ancestors. This is a very strong
> argument for secondary sprawling in crocs.
> 

Thank you both for the info, but has any work been done re: histology (or 
anything else) to find out at what point in their evolution crocs 
returned to ectothermy?  What sort of temperature control do they maintain?

Nick Pharris
Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, WA 98447
(206)535-8204
PharriNJ@PLU.edu

"If you can't convince them, confuse them." -- Harry S. Truman