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Re: A question concerning the BCF hypothesis
In a message dated 2/25/01 10:36:42 AM EST, henri.ronkko@kolumbus.fi writes:
<< "A sprawling diapsid such as Mesenosaurus effectively becomes an upright
animal when climbing a tree and will suffer a momentary disadvantage until
its blood pressure is able to partly compensate for the change. Any
adaptation, such as a four-chambered heart, that removes this disadvantage
will enable the animal to climb faster and easier and escape from a predator
more effectively."
Why should an erect stance be an adaptation to arboreal life? There are
many, many climbing lizards today and I think all of them sprawl. Well, there
are chameleons, but then again, they have the usual heart.
I don't think the logic here is good at all, really. Is this really how the
BCF goes? >>
No. Evolution of a four-chambered heart would represent an >improvement< to
an arboreal animal but is certainly not a >prerequisite< for arboreality. It
would also represent an improvement to a terrestrial animal, however.
Separation of pulmonary circulation from systemic circulation seems to have
been a good thing all around. Probably more important to the evolution of
dinosaurs and birds than endothermy, for example.