More non-avian feathered Chinese dinosaurs 13 Nov 2009 “The integumentary appendages seen in non-avian dinosaurs document a series of transitional forms from typical archosaurian scales to typical avian feathers.” From here. Fig. 4 Known feather morphotypes of non-avian dinosaurs A. morphotype 1, single filament; B. morphotype 2, multiple filaments joined basally; C. morphotype 3, multiple filaments jointed basally on a central filament; D. morphotype 4, multiple filaments branching laterally from most of the length of a central filament; E. morphotype 5, multiple filaments arising from the edge of a membrane structure; F. morphotype 6, compound structure composed of a prominent rachis with symmetrical, well-organized and closed vanes on either sides; G. morphotype 7, compound structure composed of a prominent rachis with asymmetrical, well-organized and closed vanes on either side; H. morphotype 8, a prominent rachis with symmetrical, undifferentiated vanes on either side. Check out the images of dinosaur skin impressions too. Evolution
Evolution Carnivale! 2 Aug 2009 The Carnival of Evolution 14 is up at Quintessence of Dust. Go read some great articles. Read More
Administrative Travel Diary 5 12 Oct 2009 So, here I am in Oxford, about to go and explore. The conference in Göttingen was absolutely marvellous. I met many interesting people (below the fold I tell you about a few). My only objection was that there was too much data! I’m a philosopher, Jim, not a scientist. Actually,… Read More
Book More FAPPery 27 Apr 2010 Another review of What Darwin got wrong, by Kenan Malik, at The Literary Review. The money quote: Fodor and Piattelli-Palmarini are no creationists, but ‘outright, card-carrying, signed-up, dyed-in-the-wool, no-holds-barred atheists’. That, however, only makes worse the incoherence of their understanding of Darwinism. There is much that Darwin got wrong, from… Read More