Re: All this flying talk---then comes the why..or something

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

zenlizard@juno.com wrote:

> Keep in mind that I am not actually advocating, merely proposing this
> senario:
> Arboreality developed as an extension of cursorial hunting.  That is, ,
> the idea of going up in to the trees was not to actually attack from
> there, but to get a better look around while hunting.  OK, now you're up
> in the tree.  Well, there's prey nearby-near enough to be reached in a
> single leap.  You don't really want to leap down to the ground, then run
> over to the prey item, that just gives the thing a chance to escape.  You
> want to leap directly onto the prey item and kill it.
> There, I've avoided  a priori argument and arboreality developing as a
> method of escaping from predation.  Now, how likely is this?  How would
> it be tested?  (Probably can't be, sigh...)
> -zenlizard
> 

This is exactly a scenario I have
imagined (and that appears on one
of my websites to boot). What sort of
evidence is there? Well, perhaps
we should look for small dinosaurs with
obvious avian features
that have some sort of killing/grasping
weaponry on their feet to
take advantage of the initial blow from
above. Wait, now that
sounds familiar.... :)
-- 
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        Dann Pigdon
        Melbourne, Australia

        Dinosaur Reconstructions:

http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/4459/
        Australian Dinosaurs:
        http://www.alphalink.com.au/~dannj
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