RE: Bambiraptor complete!

["Williams, Tim" <TiJaWi@agron.iastate.edu>]

Luc J. "Aspidel" BAILLY wrote:
 
>Evolution might have selected shorter feathers in this
>case.--- small preys like lizards, frogs, small mammals?
>              In this case long remiges could maybe have been an
>advantage, blocking the prey's escape.


This is a similar idea to Ostrom's "insect-snaring" net concept from the
1970's:

Ostrom, J.H. (1974) Archaeopteryx and the origin of flight. _Q. Rev. Biol._
49: 27-47. 

Ostrom, however, proposed that the feathered forelimbs ("proto-wings") of
ground-running theropods were used to swat and entrap *aerial* prey (=
flying insects).

The idea was pooh-poohed soon after.  But to give credit where credit's due,
I like Ostrom's model for two reasons: (1) the forelimb continues to be used
for prey capture as it develops into a wing; (2) the flight stroke evolves
in parallel with the flight surface from the very beginning.



Tim