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Re: FEATHERS FOR T-REX?
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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