Re: Gregory S. Paul on Confuciusornis

[Don Ohmes <d_ohmes@yahoo.com>]

On 10/14/2010 3:46 PM, Mark Pauline wrote:
> In the new Science out this afternoon:
>
> Comment on âNarrow Primary Feather
> Rachises in Confuciusornis and
> Archaeopteryx Suggest Poor
> Flight Abilityâ
> DOI: 10.1126/science.1192963
> Science 330, 320-b (2010);
> http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/330/6002/320-b
>
> I had two questions about Paul's text.
>
> 1) "Nudds and Dyke (Reports, 14 May 2010, p. 887) reported that the primary
> features of the early birds Archaeopteryx and Confuciusornis were too weak to
> power flight"
>
> What are these "primary features" that Paul describes? How do these features
> confer weakness on the animals in question?

I suspect that is a typo -- and is supposed to read "primary feathers"...