RE: Major new paper on dromaeosaurids, with other significant maniraptoran info

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. wrote:

> Most oviraptorosaurs are propubic, or at least mesopubic, so reversals are
> necessary here.

Ah yes.  My bad.

> I don't know about that, particularly if these critters went after very
> small prey (lizards and the like). Wing feathers can take a fair amount 
> (not
> huge amount, but fair) of punishment in at least some living birds.

Yes.  Indeed many birds use their wings for intraspecific combat - and even 
have wing-spurs specialized for this purpose.

As for using the forelimbs for catching small prey (lizards and the like), 
the trouble with this hypothesis is that maniraptoran hands do not appear to 
be all that well adapted for seizing small prey.  Large prey, yes - small 
prey, maybe not.  The semilunate carpal block ("swivel-wrist") constrained 
motion of the hand outside of the mediolateral plane, and the long and 
relatively inflexible fingers seem poorly adapted for one-handed grasping 
and raking.  According to Gishlick, the grasping/raking ability primitive 
for the theropod manus was actually lost in the _Deinonychus_ manus.  
Gishlick did describe how maniraptorans could grasp small prey in a 
two-handed 'scooping' fashion; but IMHO this would be inferior to the method 
that was employed by more primitive theropods - just grabbing the prey with 
one hand.



Tim

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