Re: FEATHERS FOR T-REX?

["Jordan Mallon" <j_mallon@hotmail.com>]

> From: "Michael Lovejoy" <michael@palaeoproductions.fsnet.co.uk>

> I have heard of three cases of tyrannosaur skin. None of these involve 
> >more than a small portion of skin AFAIK. Therefore they do not rule >out 
> the possibility of at least partial feathering. All extant birds >have 
> scales and/or naked skin on some parts.

I never said that tyrannosaurids couldn't have had feathers.  I was simply 
responding to Tom Holtz's sarcastic remark about shaggy tyrannosaurids.  The 
skin impressions show that they were not mammoth-like in appearance, so I 
was trying to simply rule that possibility out by saying they weren't 
"covered" in feathers.

> I've also read that the tyrannosaur skin is identical to hadrosaur >skin 
> from the same deposits. I don't know what that was based on, as I >can find 
> the ref.

Haven't heard this.  From what I understand, the tyrannosaurid skin 
impressions look somewhat "naked", in that the preserved scales are 
comparatively quite small.

> Finally, why is it not possible for large ceolurosaurs to have >feathers?

I think it was Jaime Headden (and maybe a few others) who mentioned a while 
ago that it was inefficient for any animal over a tonne to support any sort 
of feathery or furry integument.  Then there was Tom Holtz's remarks just 
yesterday...

Jordan Mallon

http://www.geocities.com/paleoportfolio/

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