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Raptors on the air
Topic Started: Sep 28 2009, 05:39 PM (1,077 Views)
Carlos
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Based on a topic I myself started a long time ago, this topic basically is about what if dromeosaurs and troodontids had survived and colonised the air rather than becoming the typical flightless forms we know and love (well, except on insular landmasses, where flightless forms could evolved).

The catalyst for this topic was the discovery that Anchiornis was a little flying troodontid rather than a relative of archeoptery (nevermind that Jifengopteryx was once mistaken for an archeopterigyd itself, and I don't know whereas it could glide or fly) and because we all know those basal flying dromeosaurs like Microraptor, Rahonavis and Cryptovolans no explanation is needed towards the possibility of this.

In my version of this topic, birds did evolved and diversified, but nonetheless dromeosaurs and troodontids remained as winged forms. Dromeosaurs occupied the niches of birds of prey, ranging from small falcon and hawk analogues to creatures that make eagles look like chickens. I guess the four winged style of manouvering in their case triumphed over the use of tail feathers; their tails would be obviously shorter than those of their ancestors, but obviously still longer than bird tails, as instead of converting into pygotsyles they'd still serve as anchors for leg muscles, and maybe support fans, specially in males. The "hind wings" (basically the legs, which havethose long feathers as in their ancestors) are used for steering instead of the tail, like animals such as Microraptor did.

Troodontids will mostly be composed by small omnivores, with bustard and crane like forms; if present unenlagiine dromeosaur will produce crow, stork and secretary bird like forms. Smaller and more acrobatic species will use their legs for steering like dromeosaurs; for larger specis, they'd be used to expand the wing surface lik in the windrunner, though wading forms will probably have featherless legs.

Any ideas?

Lemuria:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/5724950/

Terra Alternativa:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/forum/460637/

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The Dodo
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So those birds will fill in the other arial niches, are there any other flying vertebrates besides the Volaticotheres.
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Carlos
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Yes, birds occupy the remianing niches. I guess besides volis there's marsupials with "feathers" derived from hair, but thats about it
Lemuria:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/5724950/

Terra Alternativa:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/forum/460637/

My Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/Carliro

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Holben
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Intersting. But most of these seem like inland birds, with few migratory animals.
Time flows like a river. Which is to say, downhill. We can tell this because everything is going downhill rapidly. It would seem prudent to be somewhere else when we reach the sea.

"It is the old wound my king. It has never healed."
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Carlos
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As you guys know I had already decided to have troodontids as fowl analogues thanks to Anchiornis. Thanks to the ear asymmetry present in several troodontids I think I should make owl analogues out of them as well
Lemuria:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/5724950/

Terra Alternativa:
http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/forum/460637/

My Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/Carliro

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