Re: The Aerodynamic Origin of Bird Flight

[jrc <jrccea@bellsouth.net>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tim Williams" <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>
To: <dinosaur@usc.edu>; <protoart@gmail.com>; <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2008 4:31 PM
Subject: RE: The Aerodynamic Origin of Bird Flight


> Also, the statement "The pterosaurs are reptiles and have to warm up" may 
> put you off-side with pterosaur experts, given that the presence of a 
> fur-like body covering in some pterosaur taxa (e.g., _Sords pilosus_) 
> suggests endothermic ability.

Interestingly enough, though pterosaurs are almost certainly endothermic, 
for the most part they use a flight style that would for the most part, work 
just as well if they were cold-blooded.  With this exception, which I think 
is important.  Cold-bloodedness would have hurt their ability to reach high 
altitudes assist in traveling long distances (the atmosphere cools 
substantially with altitude increase, limiting a cold-blooded animal's 
ability to function at higher altitudes).
JimC