Re: feathers arising

[Thomas_R_HOLTZ@umail.umd.edu (th81)]

LN Jeff Martz wrote:

>Alan Brush wrote:
>
>>  The ANALOGY is that feathers are molted annually, just as reptilian
>> skin  is. This is NOT growth (in the sense of increased size). I suspect
>> that feather  moult and reptilian sking molt is analogous, and may be
>> homologous. Apparently physiologically the mechanisms are very similar.
>
>      I thought that only snakes and lizards shedded thier skins.  Do 
>crocodilains do this as well?

All reptiles shed their skins.  Whereas most (turtles, crocs, birds) shed it
a piece at a time, lepidosaurs (tuataras and squamates) shed most of it at
once.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Vertebrate Paleontologist     Webpage: http://www.geol.umd.edu
Dept. of Geology              Email:th81@umail.umd.edu
University of Maryland        Phone:301-405-4084
College Park, MD  20742       Fax:  301-314-9661

"There are some who call me...  Tim."
-- Tim the Enchanter, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"
---------- subtitle --[Monty Python ik den Holy Grailen]

"Tim?!?  They called me TIM?!?!"
-- Tom the Paleontologist, on seeing "The Ultimate Guide to T. rex" :-)