Re: Origin of feathers

["Jaime Headden" <jaemei@hotmail.com>]

Patrick Norton wrote:

<Wouldn't increased *friction* result in increased drag, and therefore 
poorer aerodynamic performance?>

  I'm no physisist or aeronatics engineer. Yes, friction _causes_ drag, 
and feathers would create a lot of drag, especially *Sinosauropteryx'* 
protofeathers, if he were to leap off a branch; this would serve him 
well.

  But feathers in modern birds are streamlined, and lie against the 
body, not out from, except in some cases, as crest and the like, and 
these usually lay back when the bird is in flight, or even when 
swimming, or are nothing but short-barbed shafts that produce none if 
any drag.

Jaime A. Headden

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