Scylla Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-feathered-dinosaurs-20121025,0,1122167.story?track=rss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgrilusHunter Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 (edited) Man, I know so little about these dinosaurs. The article suggests that feathers may evolved into insulation at a later time and that they were first used for display. "The feathers may have taken on new roles, such as keeping the dinosaurs warm or making flight possible, as the animals evolved later." I find this perplexing. Is it not more likely to be the other way around? I understand the arguement for display being basal to flight in the evolution of feather functional roles but what evidence suggests that display was basal to insulation? I hope some of the bird/dino fossil folk here can clear this up for me. Edited October 25, 2012 by AgrilusHunter "They ... savoured the strange warm glow of being much more ignorant than ordinary people, who were only ignorant of ordinary things." -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 These integuments on Cretaceous dinosaurs were no doubt genetically re-purposed for thermal regulation, physical protection, tactile sensation, display, and maybe other things. In much earlier lines, they probably evolved for the same reasons, and in at least two lines, for flight. This is a classic example of pre-adaptation. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgrilusHunter Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 Thanks Auspex! So, if they were re-purposed into those roles what is the hypothesized orginal role? Or is there one? "They ... savoured the strange warm glow of being much more ignorant than ordinary people, who were only ignorant of ordinary things." -- Terry Pratchett Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scylla Posted October 28, 2012 Author Share Posted October 28, 2012 I would think that insulation would trump display too, but evolution does not have to be logical. Authors of paleontological papers also do not have to be correct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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