Re: The Continuing Story of Gliders to Dinosaurs

[dbensen <dbensen@gotnet.net>]

>>The entire theropod skeleton from the hips down does not strike one as an
animal body plan necessarily exapted for an arboreal life style.  The
cylindrical femoral heads and hinge-like ankles would make climbing around
in trees pretty difficult.  Look closely at primate, squirrel, and reptile
limbs and ankles -- they are very different than theropods and allow a great
range of hand and limb mobility not found in dinosaurs.<<

Perhaps the early tree-climbing archosaurs scaled trees like nuthatches, making
short vertical jumps strait up and then grabbing back onto the bark with sharp
claws (either on the toes or on the fingers).

Dan