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Re: Feather origin hypothesis (for predator evasion??)



Mike and David,
It seems to me that a small theropod that wasn't a totally "obligate" biped could fairly easily adjust its balance after the loss of the end of the tail. In any case, better to be a little off balance than to be dead!!
The longer the initial hair-like protofeathers got the more effective they would have become.
And now that I think about it, maybe mammal hair could have begun at the tip of the tail for the same reason and been exapted for insulation later on.
------Ken
******************************************************* 
From: "T. Mike Keesey" <tmk@dinosauricon.com>
Reply-To: tmk@dinosauricon.com
To: -Dinosaur Mailing List- <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Subject: Re: Feather origin hypothesis (for predator evasion??)
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 17:53:11 -0400 (EDT)

I have to give HP* Kinman credit for imagination, but it doesn't seem
likely as an explanation for the origin of feathers, for reasons HP
Marjanovic gave. However, it certainly does sound to me like a possible
function of tail fans. Do any extant critters with tail fans use them in
this manner, though?

* Who started all this "HP" stuff, anyway?
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