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So if pterosaurs don't have RT's, then there's no
conclusive way to say that dinsoaurs, because of a general lack of RT's, are not
endothermic. Am I correct in assuming that RT's or a lack thereof, are
non-evidence against endothermy in dinosaurs?
When you say that they are endothermic because of
point #3, their fur, would that not, by the same reasoning, imply
coelurosaurs are endothermic? (I'm sure a certain listmember knows
where I am going with this...)
Thanks, Demetrios Vital
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2001 10:43
AM
Subject: Re: question concerning
respiratory turbinates
[...] Concerning the section of the article
regarding RT's, the researchers seemingly skipped over a key clade in their
analysis of which clade has RT's. This group is the pterosauromorpha.
Haev any studies been done on whether
pterosaurs have RT's? And, are pterosaurs definitely considered
"warm-blooded" (yes, I am aware of the short comings of that
term)?
I don't know of any studies on whether
pterosaurs have RT's, though I surely can't claim to be well-informed here.
However, pterosaurs are AFAIK always considered warm-blooded just like birds,
because they 1. flew (requires a constant supply of lots of energy), 2. had
elaborate air-sac systems and 3. had fur (whatever it is homologous
to).
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