Re: Feduccia's errors

[Stan Friesen <swf@ElSegundoCA.NCR.COM>]

 From: guy leahy <n9435712@henson.cc.wwu.edu>

 >      In fact, Cowles (1958) experimentally demonstrated this nearly
 > 40 years ago when he placed customized fur coats on lizards, and found
 > that his furry lizards had a hard time thermoregulating.

Well, its nice to know that biology confirms physics :-)

Still, I think this is suficient to say that the presence of full
body insulation pretty much *requires* endothermy of some sort.
The only question it would leave is how high the basal metabolism
is underneath.  There might be some possiblity of a bradymetabolic,
or "mesometabolic" endotherm.

I can hardly wait for the promised _Nature_ article on _Sinosauropteryx_.
[Though my local research library tends to be late in getting new
issues of _Nature_ out on the shelf].

swf@elsegundoca.ncr.com         sarima@ix.netcom.com

The peace of God be with you.