Third claw for climbing was Re: Pro(to)avis

[Jerzy Dyczkowski <dyczkows@molgen.mpg.de>]

On Fri, 16 Sep 2005, Tim Williams wrote:

> One curious aspect of avian evolution (at least, curious to me) is that the 
> shortening of the tail and development of a pygostyle occurred in birds that 
> had rather long legs (e.g.,_Sinornis_).  I think one of Gatesy's papers 
> discusses this too.  So early ornithothoracine birds dispensed with the tip 
> fan, but kept their "primitive" theropod legs.

Just a question: how helpful could be enlarged third claws of some 
theropods during climbing tree trunks?

It occured to me that some maniraptorians with enlarged claw on legs were 
rather slim animals, not build for wrestling big prey. And it was first 
answer which came to my mind.

J.