[Taxacom] Phylogenetic Classification? (the Dawn of Birds)

[John Grehan]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu [mailto:taxacom-
> bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Kenneth Kinman
>        For those who balk at including something like a velociraptor
in
> Class Aves, just remember that they were far more bird-like than they
> were portrayed in Jurassic Park (and were actually about half that
> size).  

Our museum has a paper soon to be published that has information bearing
on flight ability in the Velociraptor relative Deinonychus. I'll post
the information when the paper is published. Also included is a
functional interpretation for the large claw that does not involve its
use as a predatory mechanism.

John Grehan


Velociraptor ancestors were smaller, had vaned feathers, and
> could glide or even fly (probably just as well as Archaeopteryx).
> Velociraptors are thus essentially secondarily flightless, ground
birds
> (like ratites), sort of like a heavy-set, meat-eating ostrich, but
with
> teeth, a long tail, and wicked claws.  However, Archaeopteryx also had
> teeth, a long tail, and claws on their wings, and we have no trouble
> regarding it as a bird.
>        -----Cheers,
>                    Ken Kinman