Dinosaurs 'shrank' regularly to become birds (1 Viewer)

[Leroy Hoard]

I was just coming in to post exactly what bostonfred said.

Then you also thought lizards were hot blooded?

Well, I'm cold blooded, check it and see

I got a fever of seventy three

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

But why woulda smaller skeletal structure or a tiny flap of skin be advantageous enough to select itself into the species? The obvious answer seems to be that it wouldn't. And the obvious answer is correct.

As a predecessor to a wing or some ability to glide, a tiny flap of skin would be virtually worthless on its own. There is absolutely no reason for the species to select it. Of course, the species doesn't select the trait. It's not like there's some tribal council that says, here here, point of order, the next order of business is that we need to figure out what we want to do with this flap. I say keep it! All those in favor say aye. Instead, what happens is that, one day, a lizard has a weird flap. The other lizards don't pick on him for it because they probably don't notice it. And neither does he. But the good news for him - and for millions of future birdwatchers - is that, like most lizards, he has sex whenever possible, and some - but not all - of their baby lizards have a tiny weird flap just like daddy did.

A flap that didn't do anything useful would be selected against. It would be disadvantageous because, at the very least, it would consume energy, as all biomass does.

The earliest precursors to avian wings would have been useful for some purpose, though not for flight. Some discussion here and here and elsewhere, but it's all a bit speculative.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

I need MT to tell me what to think here.

Hint: dragons.

 

[joffer]

The dinousaurs died in the Great Flood. They could not go from a giant to a small bird in 6000 years. God created birds.

And ringworms

 

[NCCommish]

The dinousaurs died in the Great Flood. They could not go from a giant to a small bird in 6000 years. God created birds.

And ringworms

And he who made kittens put snakes in the grass.

 

[Ditka Butkus]

I'll check back in later.....I've got to go to Petco and purchase some dinosaur seed.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

I'll check back in later.....I've got to go to Petco and purchase some dinosaur seed.

Great pterosaurs from little acorns grow

 

[George Jefferson Airplane]

But the ones that live continue to have sex, and some of their offspring also have the weird flap.

Flapgreen?