Re: Microraptor biplanes?

[frank bliss <frank@blissnet.com>]

Interesting concept and good (fortuitous) observation).   I have not 
personally observed any birds doing such and I have glanced through 
several bird guides looking for the characteristic.  The suggestion 
toward self thermoregulation in the dromaeosaurs is obvious by this 
characteristic.  Obviously the Luis Rey painting is just accurate 
conjecture combined wonderful insight and study into the issues.  The 
jury is still out regarding thermoregulation (which I believe a naked 
belly for brooding would suggest). I am strongly in the BAD camp and 
believe that many dinos thermoregulated.  Luis' illustrations are truly 
worth a thousand words.  The  biplane concept has legs to stand on (so 
to speak) too.  There is no reason why properly designed and oriented 
feathers would interfere with locomotion on the ground.  Macaws have 
huge long stiff downward pointed feathers on their tail but walk about 
fairly well (as it were).  They don't back up very well however and 
tend to turn around to go in reverse.  I suspect that the orientation 
of leg feathers on a biplane style would tend to originate on the back 
of the leg and bunch up (like a macaw tail when they walk) so as not to 
get in the way. The microraptor could unfurl them at a whim and use 
them to increase lift and enhance steering.

Frank (Rooster) Bliss
MS Biostratigraphy
Weston, Wyoming
www.cattleranch.org

On Oct 15, 2005, at 1:50 AM, Dann Pigdon wrote:

> frank bliss wrote:
> > Are the big stomachs a reflection of the buddist chinese influence or
> > just a lot of fast food and fermenting berries?  I take it you are in
> > the BAD column since you are doing BAD art.  Seriously though, would
> > the bald stomach be useful in brooding eggs or should there be some
> > down down there?  Short of an African Grey Parrot I used to have that
> > would pluck himself bald, is there a modern analogue of the bald belly
> > extant?
>
> It just so happens that the October page of the calendar on my wall
> shows a grey fantail from the Northern Territory here in Australia
> feeding its tiny chicks. It has a very prominent bald, pink belly. I
> believe many birds pluck their belly feathers out while brooding, to
> line the nest with them and to allow more efficient heat transfer to
> incubate the eggs.
>
> --
> ___________________________________________________________________
>
> Dann Pigdon
> GIS / Archaeologist         http://heretichides.soffiles.com
> Melbourne, Australia        http://www.geocities.com/dannsdinosaurs
> ___________________________________________________________________