MisterBelfry
23rd January 2009 - 02:14 PM
QUOTE
This congruence between the full range of paleontological and developmental data strongly supports the hypothesis that feathers evolved[or were created for diversification as Intelligent Design would maintain, MrB.] and initially diversified in nonavian theropods before the origin of birds and the evolution of flight." From the abstract for the article, "A New Feather Type in a Nonavian Theropod and the Early Evolution of Feathers by Xing Xu, Xiaoting Zheng and Hailu You in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
MORE RELATED NEWS
Kevin Holden Platt in Beijing<BR>for <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com">National Geographic News</a><BR></div>
January 16, 2009</div>
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A fossil of a primitive feathered dinosaur uncovered in <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/countries/country_china.html">China</a> is helping scientists create a better model of how dinosaurs evolved into modern birds.
The winged dinosaur is still in the process of being dated, and might have lived toward the end of the Jurassic period, which lasted from 208 to 144 million years ago.<!--- deckend --->
How Flying Reptiles Rose
MSNBC - Jan 6, 2009
Michael Habib, a researcher at the medical school's Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, came up with a computerized model for pterosaur flight ...
PHOTO IN THE NEWS: Pterosaurs Took Flight on All Fours National Geographic
Pterosaurs Used All Four Legs for Take-Off Launching themselves ... Softpedia
How Huge Flying Reptiles Got Airborne LiveScience.com
The Associated Press
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119 news articles »
Four, Three, Two, One . . . Pterosaurs Have Lift Off
Science Daily (press release) - Jan 6, 2009
Even paleontologists assumed that because the creatures flew, they were birdlike in many ways, such as using only two legs to take flight. ...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/...90106161514.htmhttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...picture_big.jpgPHOTO IN THE NEWS: Pterosaurs Took Flight on All Fours</h1>
The skull's size suggests that the Brazilian pterosaur had a roughly 16-foot (5-meter) wingspan and stood about 3.3 feet (a meter) high at its shoulders. With its long neck and jaw, the animal would have seemed as tall as a typical adult human (right).
New Feathered Dinosaur Found; Adds to Bird-Dino Theory</h1>
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/pf/67950232.html ----->
(Related: "First Dinosaur Feathers for Show, Not Flight?" [October 22, 2008].)
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...r-feathers.html-----------
I went back a few days, to find my copy of the AP report of Habib's findings. From a telephone interview, they quote him with concurrence from David Unwin of the University of Leicester that these reptile "birds" are not best to be thought of as your ordinary avian species! "Last year, researchers tried to figure out how they[in addition to the Hatzegopteryx (next to the giraffe in the "photo" link above) at 40 feet or more wingspan is an illustration of the 30 foot toothless pteranodon in flight] got off the ground by looking at the largest bird now flying, the albatross. They concluded that anything much bigger couldn't get off the ground the same way." Much to learn, it seems as new creature's fossils are found in rapid succession. And I am a bit confused: the AP illustration(provided by The Johns Hopkins University) calls it one thing(H. thambema) and the National Geographic calls it "
Lacusovagus magnificens, or "magnificent lake wanderer," is the largest of its kind yet found, a new study reports." ?
MrB.
These types of new discoveries absolutely prove evolution to have occurred and confirm for all thinking people the genius of Darwin's initial support and evidence backing his theory. From 1859 through the countless new species descriptions and new fossil discoveries to our current times, evolutionary theory has NEVER been questioned or brought to doubt by ANY peer-reviewed scientist's writings. Science and those in the know are unanimous in their cognition and belief in evolution as the SOLE explanatory theory for the development of life on our planet. How can Creationists and other brainwashed, indoctrinated goons think they will EVER supplant Darwinian evolution with their blatant lies and hogwash? 
It is a lost cause and only continues to make them look completely ignorant, biased and disconnected from reality! 
SCIENCE PREVAILS, RELIGION FAILS! 
Have they or FGG's masterful analogy made you question your religiosity? 
Though science doesn't have ALL the answers and never will, it is constantly filling in the small voids that ALWAYS support Darwinian evolution. 
The evidence is overwhelming and convincing. The more you read and understand, the more sure one can be that the Creationists are full of cr@p in their weakly argued and presented case against evolution! 