Re: Revising Hou et al, 96 (very very long)

["David Marjanovic" <david.marjanovic@gmx.at>]

> >For other theropod lineages, the SLC may have been a disadvantage,
> >promoting the degeneration of this structure.  Taxa such as
> _Protarchaeopteryx_ might have reverted to a more primitive carpal
> configuration to give the wrist
> >more overall flexibility - especially torsional and dorso-palmar
movement.

Interesting idea.

> Protoarchaeopteryx is probably a very basal Oviraptorid,

Do you mean oviraptorosaur?

> Things could have evolved by means of convergence,
> just as that protofeathers evolved a couple of times in history, can you
say
> Longisquama?

It's easily conceivable -- the most parsimonious assumption, actually --
that protofeathers (e. g. those seen in *Sinosauropteryx*) evolved only
once; the "longscales" of *Longisquama* are, as has been discussed onlist at
length, hardly similar to (proto)feathers.

> But for what means could it have used it's new found
> flexibility for, if it was reversed as you have said/ wrote? Alright, a
very
> difficult question to answer, since it's for most part speculation, but
does
> someone have any idea?

Well, what can one use a hand for? :-) Churning muddy waters, as proposed
yesterday for ornithomimosaurs?