Re: Dinofest notes

[Betty Cunningham <bettyc@flyinggoat.com>]

this isn't a new idea.  It was proposed on the Dinosaur list
(I think GSP Dec 95 beat everyone else out on it)
http://www.cmnh.org/fun/dinosaur-archive/1995Dec/0852.html

"It is interesting that the body and arms did not entirely cover the
eggs.
This hints that insulation was present to cover the eggs for both heat
retention, and shading, as in birds."

-Betty

Jeff Hecht wrote:
> Thomas Hopp proposed a new theory why birds evolved long wing feathers --
> for protecting their eggs and young while brooding. This is the first
> sensible reason I've heard for feathers that evolved as body insulation
> growing long enough to get the birds off the ground. Alan Brush and a
> couple of others were intrigued. Larry Martin pointed out a minor problem
> -- the Oviraptor eggs on which the parent was found were buried, so they
> would not -- or might not -- have required protection. But it didn't seem a
> show-stopper.