Re: Campbell's even crazier than a MANIAC? (archeopteryx climbing)

[David Marjanovic <david.marjanovic@gmx.at>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "don ohmes" <d_ohmes@yahoo.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2008 10:35 PM

> 5 ft does not seem enough of a vertical drop to stimulate the initial 
> transition from a cursorial predatory biped that utilizes isolated trees 
> for roosting/nest/perch-hunting to the same, only w/ an initial 
> parachuting/gliding capacity. Could we change that to 5m? :D.

Maybe not. Some say the vegetation on the islands where Archie apparently 
lived was only 3 m high.

> > Such a structure it definitely *could*
> > have used as a lookout and "perch" (except it
> > would really stand atop the fronds/leaves, not perch on
> > branches).
>
> As well as a roost or nest site...

However, nesting in trees does not appear to be plesiomorphic even for 
crown-group birds.

> Works especially well in an area where trees are well-scattered, and there 
> is little undergrowth.

There may have been _only_ undergrowth.