Re: H1N5 (and Bakker's virus extinction hypothesis) now H5N1 (joke)

[Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Phil Bigelow wrote:

> Can w'all get back to talking about dinosaurs?

I don't know.  Maybe we should ask W'all.

I sometimes wonder if the "virus extinction hypothesis" for dinosaurs is 
itself a practical joke.  IMHO, it is difficult to take seriously.

> Even a discussion about
> those mega dino-lice would be appreciated.  Is a jpg of this critter
> available?

Apparently there's a reconstruction of _Saurodectes_ in...

Grimaldi, D. and Engel, M.S. (2005). Evolution of the insects. Cambridge: 
Cambridge University Press.

... which I haven't seen.

Here's how Grimaldi and Engel (2006) describe this beastie:

"_Saurodectes vrsanskyi_ from the Zaza Formation shales of Baissa, Siberia 
(Barremian or slightly younger Neocomian in the Early Cretaceous, ca 130 Ma) 
is a putative louse or close relative thereof, but also an exceedingly 
bizarre insect (a revised, original reconstruction of it is in Grimaldi & 
Engel 2005). At 17 mm body length it is far larger than any living louse 
(suggesting it had a huge host) and it had huge protuberances on each side 
of the head, but it also had some features consistent with Phthiraptera, 
including a small thorax and apparent aptery, short sprawling legs, a 
largely membranous abdomen (with tergites and sternites lost or vestigial), 
and large spiracles and lateral tracheal trunks."

Sounds cool, huh?  Except if you happen to be the host.

Cheers

Tim