Re: One for the bird brigade

["Allan Edels" <Edels@email.msn.com>]

All:

    The hoatzin resembles _Archaeopteryx_ in that the young retain the hand
claws.  But, as Tom H. has pointed out, this is a reversal, not a retention
of the original character.  In terms of a 'look-alike' bird, the hoatzin
probably fits the bill.  We can examine them and their living habits (and
habitats) for some clues as to _Archaeopteryx_'s life.

    I tend to believe that all birds are _A._'s decendants.  However,  I
don't think that any existing birds are specifically close to _A._
evolutionary speaking.

        Allan Edels


-----Original Message-----
From: Randy King <randyk@ims.com>
To: jjackson@interalpha.co.uk <jjackson@interalpha.co.uk>
Cc: dinosaur@usc.edu <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Date: Friday, December 18, 1998 1:46 PM
Subject: Re: One for the bird brigade


>At 05:12 PM 12/18/98 -0000, John V Jackson wrote:
>>--Original Message-- From: Larry Dunn <majestic_cheese@yahoo.com> Friday,
>>December 18, 1998 03:18 PM
>>
>>
>>>What bird still alive today is considered to be the closest kin to
>>>Archaepteryx ?
>>[snip]
>>
>>
>>If all birds are descended from Ax, (and I don't know - maybe I'm the last
>>person left in the world who believes this :-) )  then all birds are
equally
>>closely related to it.  But you can tell the person who asked you the
>>question, 'the hoatzin'.  It should keep them happy, and will do them no
>>harm!
>
>I don't agree.  I suppose it may depend on your definition of closest
>though.  I presume the question really is looking for the least diverged
>from Archie.  And given different mutation rates and even different
>genaration lenghts, I would claim that all birds are not equally related
>to Archie.
>
>I vote for hoatzin.
>