Re: Science feather strength debate

[GSP1954@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/1/10 11:18:40 AM, jaseb@amnh.org writes:

> a 20% difference in mass makes a big difference in aerodynamics and 
especially the metabolic costs of flight. Moreover, if the anterior body is 
more 
pneumatized than the hind parts this has implications for flight 
configurations. And, again, the mass does not affect the feather strength, 
which is 
inherent to the feather structure. The mass affects the loading on the 
feathers.<

This is ridiculous. The mass of an individual bird can vary by 20% or more 
over a matter of hours (if it gorges) or days (as body fat deposits vary). 
It is common for very long distance migrating birds to start out heavy with 
fat and lose it by the end of the journey. The bird can effectively fly at 
the beginning and end of the mission. In any case, as I have stressed 
repeatedly in the literature, it is not possible to restore the mass of an 
individual specimen better than +/- 20% or more because of problems with 
restored 
volume, SG, and normal changes in an individuals mass. The problem with the 
Nudds and Dyke was that they overestimated the mass of the Archaeopteryx 
specimen they examined by a factor of about two, Confusicusornis by about 
three. 
 
> I think you sell yourself short here. Your reputation is eminent and your 
work is inspiring to anyone with so much as a passing interest in the 
evolution of birds. I can imagine that dozens of students and researchers 
around 
the world would jump at the chance to volunteer some computer or mechanical 
modeling work, or statistical anlaysis, on a  project with Gregory S. Paul. 
I can imagine students who would be delighted to do their thesis projects on 
something like this and professors who would be delighted to host you in 
their labs to study these questions.<

Because Jason continues to be rude by yet again offering unsolicitated 
advice by lecturing me on how I should conduct my research even after I 
explained his 1st error in doing so I shall lecture Jason on how to offer 
advice. 
Jason. You really want to "humbly" suggest a research project to someone then 
directly send them an personal email with your ideas. If said person says 
that is not workable for them then respect their decision and shut up. In my 
previous message I explained that the idea of setting up some team is neither 
practical on my part, nor was it necessary to point out the grevious flaws 
in the N&D paper. So Jason, never again publicly lecture me or any other how 
to conduct their research in terms of the scale of a project, it is not 
your business. And it is very annoying. 

GSPaul
</HTML>