Re: Paedomorphosis ( Re: BARYONYX' CLAWS )

[Dinogeorge <Dinogeorge@aol.com>]

In a message dated 98-04-11 16:16:45 EDT, m_troutman@hotmail.com writes:

<< I don't believe in the cursorial origin of flight either. But you 
 ignore that flight may have evolved from animals that exapted certain 
 features of climbing and gliding. >>

Climbing and gliding are integral parts of the BCF scenario, do not forget. So
is aerodynamically controlled leaping between branches, squirrel-like. I
consider aerodynamically controlled leaping and gliding to be primitive forms
of flying, of the kind that eventually developed into the powered, flapping
flight of modern birds. Even falling--as long as it is not accidental but is
part of an acronomic (acronomic: my term for "dwelling in high places," such
as trees, cliffs, etc.) animal's lifestyle--can be considered flying, albeit
the most primitive kind of flying of all.

So, for example, let's say an animal lives in the trees and makes its living
by falling from tree branches to capture prey. If it gives rise to a
descendant form that lives on the ground and abandons the ancestral arboreal
"falling lifestyle," I would consider the descendant form to be secondarily
flightless. This is not as peculiar as it might at first seem; but in any
case, I'm just defining my terms here to avoid later confusion.

<< Plus, then I guess the transition from water to land is a miracle.>>

There are no miracles in the evolution of life, although some of the
transitions may appear miraculous before analysis.