Re: Speculative dino species

["philidor11" <philidor11@snet.net>]

<Regarding species that seem to have gone extinct before K/T; if there was a
gradual extinction beginning earlier and culminating in the K/T extinction
event,
could that be circumvented, or is that a bad idea?>

Best not to circumvent too many extinctions.
After all, using the 'no bolide' scenario, who wants to work on how all the
other extinct animals were evolving?  And we'd have to have a plant team.
(Aside from the direct effects, plants are affected by the animals that feed
on them.)
So, how about a scenario where a limited number of dinosaur species survive?
You'd be able to start with assuming the most likely groups were far from
the impact site.  And the reasons for their survival would be similarities
to animals which did survive in the same areas, which is a recipe for
competition...
Croc-like dinosaurs competing with real crocs.  Featherless dinos competing
with secondarily flightless birds...  (I'd bet on the dinos because of their
harder bones.)
So, the surviving dino species eventually make birds go almost extinct, at
least until the Ice Age...
Could be fun.

If I can ever finish the posts; down to 96 unread, finally.