Re: Two questions on the dino-fleas

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

> What I do not quite understand is the unstated presumption that 
> "filamentous  body coverings"  would be advantageous or necessary to 
> proto-fleas -- I would speculate that thick dino-fuzz might difficult 
> for a 2 cm flea to navigate, whereas the wrinkles, cracks and crevices 
> of basal dinosaurs would provide a suitable, if sometimes disgusting, 
> habitat in the _absence_ of a dense covering.
>
> Isn't it more reasonable to speculate that an early advantage of dense 
> dinofuzz was that it impeded exploitation of dinos by giant fleas by 1) 
> making the skin difficult to access, 2) enhancing the host's ability to 
> sense moving parasites 3) generally impeding mobility, and 4) (possibly) 
> even clogging spiracles with 'feather-dust'?
>
> And further, that fleas became smaller, and started jumping, as an 
> adaptive response to dense body-coverings?

*lightbulb moment*