Re: Dinosaurs and birds

[Jeff Hecht <jeff@jeffhecht.com>]

This may be more relevant to Microraptor than Archaeopteryx, but a while back 
somebody pointed out to me that climbing up a tree can be much easier than 
getting back down. Just ask anyone who's had to rescue a cat. There's also a 
difference between being able to climb a tree when something is chasing you and 
being truly arboreal. Likewise, there are grades of flying, from graceful to 
"can get off the ground and out of harm's reach when absolutely necessary." The 
challenge is to figure where Archaeopteryx, Microraptor, and so on fit on those 
scales. 
-- 
Jeff Hecht, science & technology writer
jeff@jeffhecht.com  http://www.jeffhecht.com
525 Auburn St., Auburndale, MA 02466 USA
v. 617-965-3834; fax 617-332-4760