Re: FYI -- Microraptor gui, Burnham and Alexander, PNAS...

[Mike Habib <habib@jhmi.edu>]

Quite amusing stuff!  Not a bad set of "test flights".  However, in  
the course of the debates, speculations, and hypotheses surrounding  
Microraptor, I have often wondered: why do so many individuals insist  
that the hind wings need to be oriented horizontally?  Some splay the  
limbs, others splay the feathers, but neither is a very well supported  
model - perhaps forcing the issue is a poor assumption from the  
beginning?

Cheers,

--Mike H.


Michael Habib
Assistant Professor of Biology
Chatham University
Woodland Road, Pittsburgh PA  15232
Buhl Hall, Room 226A
mhabib@chatham.edu
(443) 280-0181



On Jan 26, 2010, at 10:29 AM, don ohmes wrote:

> <http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/01/model-dinosaur-flying-theories/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+wired/index+(Wired:+Index+3+(Top+Stories+2)) 
> >