Re: Nyctosaurus Images

["T. Michael Keesey" <mightyodinn@yahoo.com>]

--- JAMES ARONIS <Apollo@Mlink.net> wrote:
> Toucans and other birds of the Ramphastidae use their oversized bills to 
> reach food sources (primarily fruit) otherwise unobtainable to 
> lesser-endowed species, and thus serve an additional purpose besides 
> sexual display. I doubt the stick-like crest reminiscent of a tuning 
> fork was used as a food-gathering tool by Nyctosaurus, but sexual 
> display seems the most plausable purpose. Another very remote 
> possibility is a camouflage of some sort, but that does not seem likely 
> or will ever be proven. Some of the most bizarre features ever evolved 
> in the animal kingdom are used as camouflage or sexual display.

Is it possible that a membrane connected the "prongs"? I could almost see it
running back to the tail as well, forming a massive rudder/sail, although I
don't know how aerodynamically sound that would be.

In all this fuss over the crest, we're missing something equally strange, yet
more subtle, about this animal. Look at the hands....
"What hands?"
Exactly! It only has one manual digit (the "flight finger").

Could these be related somehow? I can't imagine any reason, but....

(Very erect posture in that reconstruction, too.)

=====
=====> T. Michael Keesey <keesey@bigfoot.com>
=====> The Dinosauricon <http://dinosauricon.com>
=====> BloodySteak <http://bloodysteak.com>
=====> Instant Messenger <Ric Blayze>
=====

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo.
http://search.yahoo.com