Re: tales and tails.

[Mickey Rowe <rowe@psych.ucsb.edu>]

Due to a technical glitch listproc rejected the message below, so I'm
forwarding it on Alan's behalf:

------- Start of forwarded message -------
Message-ID: <008601bf05bb$43fadb00$02fd6389@w7rh2>
From: " Alan Brush" <brush@uconn.cted.net>
To: <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Subject: tales and tails.

The current discussion regarding the  pygostyle  contincues to be of 
interest. Archaeopteryx had a reptilian tail, not a ptygostyle like it's 
more derived decendents. There is an as yet undescribed oviraptor from 
Mongolia that has a  tail with several fused vertebrate at the tip. In 
an upcoming article in National Geographic it is described as a 
shortened (eg reduced  number of vertebrate) tail with an "incipient 
version of the pygostyle". As far as I know there is only a single 
specimen. The specimen is reconstrcuted with a fan of feather emminating 
from the structure. However, there are no tail feathers preserved.

Because there is but a sinlge specimen, it is possible that this could 
be a pathological condition where the bones have fused. Bone fusion iin 
birds is not unknown, the synsacum and TMT provide examples.
           Alan H. Brush
             92 High St.
       Mystic, CT 06355

   brush@uconn.cted.edu
          860-572-1717

------- End of forwarded message -------