Re: Important feathered dinosaurs

[NJPharris@aol.com]

In a message dated 12/8/1999 1:39:09 PM Pacific Standard Time, Dinogeorge 
writes:

> Although the Cretaceous can be said to have a "series" of birds (though 
> hardly smooth!), certainly the Jurassic cannot--there's only one: 
> Archaeopteryx (not counting possible different species within the genus, 
all 
> from the same locality).

Um, OK, but the Jurassic and Cretaceous together can be said to have a series 
of birds.  What I meant by a "smooth" series is that we can trace the 
development of many features of bird hands, heads, feet, jaws, backs, hips, 
etc., in _Archaeopteryx_, _Confuciusornis_, Enantiornithes, 
Hesperornithiformes, Ichthyornithiformes, and Neornithes.

_Protoavis_ is purported to have features more advanced even than many 
Cretaceous birds, and unless better fossils of it appear and corroborate this 
assessment, I will continue to have my doubts that it is anywhere on the main 
line of bird evolution.

--Nick P.