At 11:41 PM 17/09/02 +0100, Michael Lovejoy wrote:
It just seems weird to put a display structure right out there where it
would also have an aerodynamic effect, unless as you say, it was both for
display and aerodynamics.
Well, lots of living birds do exactly that. Think of all the birds with
conspicuous wing and/or tail patterns, some of which are often most visible
in flight or on landing (the contrasting white outer tail feathers of many
songbirds, the "flash-pattern" wings of the sunbittern, the extraordinary
tail plumes of many species of birds of paradise (not the trains of
peacocks and quetzals, of course, which do not involve the tail), and the
even more extraordinary display feathers on the wings of Standard-winged
and Pennant-winged Nightjars (not to mention the sound-producing wing
feathers of birds like the Club-winged Manakin or the African Broadbill.
--
Ronald I. Orenstein Phone: (905) 820-7886
International Wildlife Coalition Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116
1825 Shady Creek Court
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2 mailto:ornstn@rogers.com