PADIAN ON FLIGHTLESSNESS etc

[darren.naish@port.ac.uk]

Tom wrote...

> We honestly do not know the function of the feathers of
> different non-flying dinosaurs, and of course (as with modern animals)
> any structure could have multiple functions.  

Did anyone notice Padian, Ji and Ji saying (in _Mesozoic Vertebrate 
Life_) that the complex feathers of the Liaoning theropods was perhaps 
most easily explained by these taxa being secondarily flightless? Their 
only counter-argument to this conclusion was that this scenario is 
'apparently not parsimonious in a cladistic framework' (or some such)! 
They cited a Sereno paper. I'm surprised as I expected them to provide 
somewhat less subjective counter-arguments to the notion of 
secondary flightlessness.

While I'm here: learnt on Tuesday that _Dinosaurs of the Isle of 
Wight_ has become the Palaeontological Association's best-selling 
book ever, despite it only being out for six months. Thanks to all who 
bought it (most sales came from the US) - maybe we'll get to do a 
second edition. I hope so as many mistakes have come to light and new 
work (e.g. Bill Blows' on stegosaur armour, Cadbury and others - plus 
ongoing research - on Mantell's work) means that much of it needs 
updating. Incidentally, Cadbury is far from the last work on the work 
of Gideon Mantell....

And hooray for _Djarthia_, boo-hoo _Pulchrapollia_.

DARREN NAISH 
PALAEOBIOLOGY RESEARCH GROUP
School of Earth & Environmental Sciences
UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH
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