Re: New bird evolution papers (Acta Zoologica Sinica)

[Jeff Hecht <jeff@jeffhecht.com>]

There's also a review  by Zhou Zhonghe and Zhang Fu-Cheng of Mesozoic Birds of 
China.

And the PDF files are available for download from
http://www.actazool.org/issuedetail.asp?volume=50&number=6&issue_id=93

-- Jeff Hecht

At 10:14 AM -0600 3/23/05, Tim Williams wrote:
>Two new articles in Acta Zoologica Sinica:
>
>Sereno, P.C. (2004).  Birds as dinosaurs.  Acta Zoologica Sinica 50(6): 
>991-1001.
>
>ABSTRACT: The "great debate" over bird origins may never have transpired had 
>the now-famous furcula-bearing, feathered dinosaurs from Asia surfaced when 
>the beds in which they were interred were first discovered in the 1920s. 
>Compelling fossil evidence is now to hand that places birds as a specialized 
>Glade within theropod dinosaurs. Major insights include a more seamless fossil 
>record linking birds and non-avian dinosaurs, clear evidence of an early 
>pre-avian origin for feathers and other features previously known only among 
>birds, together with an underscoring of the importance of miniaturization for 
>the evolution of powered flight and a broadening of the functional scenarios 
>for how powered bird flight was first achieved.
>
>And you just have to admire the guy's perseverence...
>
>Martin, L.D. (2004).  A basal archosaurian origin for birds.  Acta Zoologica 
>Sinica 50(6): 978-990.
>
>ABSTRACT: The controversy over the origin of birds may have been resolved 
>through the discovery of new and remarkable fossils from the Triassic of 
>Central Asia and the Early Cretacous of China. Flight probably originated in 
>small, quadrupedal gliding archosaurs in the Triassic. Feathers originated for 
>gliding rather than for insulation. The "maniraptoran dinosaurs" are actually 
>derived from birds with at least gliding capabilities and primary feathers on 
>the hands.
>
>
>
>Tim