Re: Alvarezsaur spurs (was Re: dino-lice)

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

On Sun, May 1st, 2011 at 5:11 PM, Tim Williams <tijawi@gmail.com> wrote:

> Anthony Docimo <keenir@hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
> >  if the Aardwolf can make a halfway decent living the way it is doing, why 
> > change?
> > (one day, perhaps there will be super-Aardwolves compared to what we have 
> > now, I grant 
you)
> 
> 
> Improved digging adaptations would allow the aardwolf to access tough
> termite mounds, and feed all year round on harvester termites.

Sure - but that would require specialised claws and digging physiology, which 
would make it more 
difficult to run from danger. At the moment the aardwolf is specialised enough 
to be able to subsist 
largely on termites, but not so specialised that it can't run like the clappers 
when it needs to. 
Whereas the aardvark doesn't have the luxury of speed to escape danger. The 
even more 
specialised giant anteater is slower yet again.

-- 
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Dann Pigdon
Spatial Data Analyst               Australian Dinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia               http://home.alphalink.com.au/~dannj
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