Re: Status of _Caudipteryx_

[ELurio@aol.com]

In a message dated 12/31/00 3:31:15 PM, NJPharris@aol.com writes:

<< In a message dated 12/30/00 7:28:10 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
ELurio@aol.com 
writes:

> The chemical evidence shows that colugos are closer to fruit bats than to 
>  anything else, and are thus a good model for what we are talking about. A 
>  whale doesn't have any of the equipment to evolve flight, like say, a 
flying 
>  squirrel, and a colugo does. 

The DNA evidence on this point is equivocal, to say the least.  See, for 
instance:

http://www.cmnh.org/fun/dinosaur-archive/1999May/msg00287.html

--Nick P. >>

I'm not so sure that it is....I mean they accept the, and I quote here:
"The hippo + whale clade is formally named Whippomorpha, in honor of John
Gatsey et al.'s whimsical term "whippo"."

Which after all requires a time machine. Whales predate hippos by thirty 
million years, and their immediate ancestors by at least fifteen.....but 
that's kind of off-topic.

eric l.