The Early Bird: Fossils Depict Aquatic Origins of Near-Modern Birds 115 Million Years Ago

University of Pennsylvania ^ | 15 June 2006 | Staff

[VadeRetro]

Why not incline on the fact that the animal is so remarkably "like a duck" that it probably was a duck - in light of the fact that there is absolutely no reason to believe it wasn't a duck.

Ichthyornis looked like a late-Cretaceous gull. It had teeth.

[KMJames]

...Where do you see anything in the article about the beak on the missing head being "not quite?" Did the strawman put up a terrific fight?...

Actually I am looking right now at a reconstructive illustration of the specimen. I didn't realize that the image was not with the article that is posted here. I am looking an image from a different "non web" source.

[KMJames]

...Where do you see anything in the article about the beak on the missing head being "not quite?" Did the strawman put up a terrific fight?...

Actually I am looking right now at a reconstructive illustration of the specimen. I didn't realize that the image was not with the article that is posted here. I am looking an image from a different "non web" source.

[VadeRetro]

A very similar inference was dead on the money regarding Archaeopteryx.

In 1861, the first Archaeopteryx fossil was found. It was clearly a primitive bird with reptilian features. But, the fossil's head was very badly preserved. In 1872 Ichthyornis and Hesperornis were found. Both were clearly seabirds, but to everyone's astonishment, both had teeth. It was predicted that if we found a better-preserved Archaeopteryx, it too would have teeth. In 1877, a second Archaeopteryx was found, and the prediction turned out to be correct.

Is Evolution Science?

[VadeRetro]

Yes, I'm sure they put a head on it. Had to.

[KMJames]

...When I get it done and put up on image shack I will ping you in...

Please do. Every time I see your posts I think about the three lights (or is it two lights) from Star Trek. LOL

Best regards,

[Dimensio]

Every time I see your posts I think about the three lights (or is it two lights) from Star Trek.

There are FOUR lights.

[b_sharp]

The SToE can contend with previously considered extinct organisms being found to be extant because there is no mechanism which sets a hard and fast maximum limit to the number of generations a species can have.

Do you know of some mechanism that would?

On the other hand, finding a fossil of a human in precambrian rock would be difficult to explain.

[KMJames]

Look, I've worked with scientific illustrators before, even hired a few, and I know the license they have to make "intermediates" appear intermediate.

There is often ZERO EVIDENCE for the stuff they put in an illustration.

[RunningWolf]

'chain of commmand' Thats the way it feels sometimes LOL

Regards,

Wolf

[KMJames]

...finding a fossil of a human in precambrian rock would be difficult to explain....

No it wouldn't. It would be an "anomaly" and pushed aside.

[ahayes]

Yeah, no wonder the Mark II Bird went extinct.

[ahayes]

Only in the alternative reality that you and so many of your fellows seem to inhabit.

[KMJames]

There are FOUR lights.

Pardon me for misunderestimating the power of the ToE.

[Oztrich Boy]

It would be nice to see at least ONE scientist willing to hypothesize that this creature actually didn't have a skull, and see where it leads them.

This is your brain on Creationism placemarker.

[ahayes]

I don't know, it seems like so many people don't use their heads, maybe birds don't really need them either. The example of Mike the headless chicken has already been offered.

[KMJames]

The "not-quite-a-duck". Check it out

[Coyoteman]

[stands2reason]

Of course. Everything's possible with creation.

[PatrickHenry]

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