Re: ALIMENTARY MY DEAR HOATZIN

[rjmeyer@ix.netcom.com (Rob Meyerson)]

Matthew Troutman writes;

>Hoatzins, perhaps the only avians that we can get a guess towards the 
>climbing forelimb motions of maniraptoran (or maniraptoriform) theropods 
>from, need not be flexible in their wrists or ulna and radius when in their 
>juvenile climbing/swimming stage.

I question how useful this will be to us.  Are the climbing adaptations in the 
hoatzin young a primary feature, or was it secondarily derived?  IOW, is this 
something that evolved specifically in this critter, or is it a relic from 
prehistoric times?  If this is a special adaptation, it may point us towards 
the right direction towards understanding our arboreal theropods, but we are 
left with a huge gap to fill.

Perhaps it would be better if we had a few skeletal reconstructions of a few 
dromaeosaur hands, as well as a few bird-dinos, and see how well they could be 
used for climbing (gripping the branch, for example).  Hey grad students!  Want 
a thesis topic?


Rob Meyerson

***
Evil triumphs where good men do nothing.