Re: Yet more on pterosaur quad arm posture

[GSP1954@aol.com]

In a message dated 7/2/13 10:29:09 PM, tijawi@gmail.com writes:

<<   It is sheer fantasy to suggest

that Archaeopteryx_, _Microraptor_, etc were specialized arborealists. >>

It is sheer fantasy to keep Microraptor primarily on the ground. High res 
photos of numerous central toe claws (and all the rest) shwo they are 
strongly arced in the manner found only in birds that do not walk much on the 
ground. All modern birds that walk a lot on the ground have flatter claws, I've 
looked at them all (there are not really that many of them) plus previous 
published data.  

That makes sense since sinornithosaurs lived in heavily forested habitats, 
and their enromous foot feathers would have hindered walking and been 
damaged doing so. 

Archaeopteryx is more complicated. 

Even assuming basal dinofliers could take off from the ground does not mean 
they were not arboreal. Almost all arboreal birds can take off from ground. 

GSPaul

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