Re: The origin of flight: from the water up

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

Subject: The origin of flight: from the water up (was: Re: Velociraptor
profiles and a little background)

FUCHSIA for short ((c) HP Mike Taylor): Flight Underwater Continued, However
Strange, In Air. :-)

> How did the hesperornithiforms do that than? Reducing their pneumaticity.

Their bones aren't hollow anymore. Like those of e. g. penguins and other
strongly adapted birds.

> Good point, and than it is much easier to
> think that with maniraptors with feathers had the same development,
creating
> a sort of insulation against water.

:-)

> I forgot one major example of type of animal that doesn't have the gland,
> but does swim. It's the mammal that swims the triathlon and the numerous
> distances at the Olympics: man.

We are a poor example... most of our hairs are ridiculously short and
therefore can't soak with water, even though we have more hairs than every
other ape.

> Ah well, it's better to burn out than fade
> away... That's Kurt Cobain :)

"Rather an end with horror than a horror without end"... pretty recent
German proverb.

> Would have been one hell of a view you know...

What do you mean?