Re: Evidence For a Feathered Velociraptor...

[Andreas Johansson <andreasj@gmail.com>]

On 9/26/07, Tim Williams <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> What I'm saying is that there may be other explanations beside 'aerodynamic 
> load' as to why _Velociraptor_ has quill knobs.
> I'm not arguing that the quill knobs have _no_ function in _Velociraptor_; 
> I'm merely arguing that the function of quill knobs in
> _Velociraptor_ may not be associated with aerial locomotion.  If the latter 
> is true, this non-aerodynamic function may have been
> the original function of quill knobs, which were later exapted toward 
> aerodynamic load in the line leading to birds.
>

But aerodynamic load doesn't imply aerial locomotion, does it? - maybe
velociraptors violently flapped their forelimbs as part of the mating
ritual, and it'd been a major embarassment if the feathers fell off.

-- 
Andreas Johansson

Why can't you be a non-conformist just like everybody else?