Re: Feathered Dragons: Studies on the Transition from Dinosaurs to Birds

[DinoBoyGraphics@aol.com]

In a message dated 4/26/2004 2:42:23 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Tetanurae writes:

> I would think that, at least in the case of _Microraptor gui_, the fact that 
> long feathers appeared on the legs all the way down to the distal metatarsus 
> argues strongly in favor of arboreal habits for _Microraptor_.  Had _M. gui_ 
> been terrestrial, I'd imagine the distal-most feathers would have been 
> destroyed 
> in the process of walking on the ground-- well, unless of course it was 
> unguligrade instead of digitigrade like almost all other 
> dinosaurs.

I have to comment on this:  There is no reason to think that the rectrices on 
the hind limbs of Microraptor could not fold back against the leg during 
terretrial locomotion:  If not, they would have been destroyed during anything 
bu the most limited of arboeal locomotion as well.  Also, Nick did not conlcude 
that the feathers on the hind limbs of Archaeoptery were anywhere near as long 
as in Microraptor, although he speculated that their presence might indicate 
that leg "wings" were primitive for the group.

Unless and until someone can show that the the pelvis and/or femora of 
sinornithosaurs were in some way diferent from other theropods (including 
Archaeopteryx), then they would make poor arboreal scansors.  I don't mean that 
they couldn't climb, but they were not doing the squirrell or lemur thing in 
trees.


Scott Hartman
Zoology & Physiology
University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY 82070

(307) 742-3799