Prehistoric Birds May Have Used Four Wings To Fly

Smithsonian ^ | 3-14-13

[Dysart]

A fossil of a prehistoric bird from the enantiornithine genus shows feathers on its hind legs—evidence of an extra pair of wings. Courtesy of Xiaoting Zheng et al/Science

[Ron C.]

Yeah, sure. This from those who jabber about the world being 150 million years old. While science obviously proves otherwise.

[count-your-change]

NBA players should be developing wings and feathers any day now to help them leap.

[muawiyah]

Thanks.

Feathered dinosaur to winged dinosaur with feathers on four limbs to birds with feathers on four limbs to birds withfeathers on two limbs.

Add a little brain development in there to provide the processing systems necessary to control two-winged flight and you've got modern birds.

So, why parrots?

[Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America]

[raygunfan]

Bwahaha...yeah, piece a cake...

[Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America]

Feathers on four limbs:

[EEGator]

Who thinks the world is 150 million years old?

[Tudorfly]

I recommend the author simply read Genesis. Evolution ain’t what our “educated” literates crack it up to be. There are no proven instances of macro evolution. None. Zip.

[Dysart]

Why Parrots? Open question there, but I will answer what I think you mean. I see Parrots as I do Mockingbirds. Both mimics but with different diet and thus adaptive beaks. All songs serve the same dual purpose in birds. I think mimics are more evolved. Clearly higher processing is required to replicate other species' songs. We know, or it is believed, that mimic behavior is used to attract mates and communicate territorial claims. Further, it has been shown that Mockingbirds with the best repertoire of songs (esp males) have better breeding success than those more limited. So, I would assume the same would be true with Parrots- although I have studied Mockingbirds as a hobbyist but not Parrots. But in the same way mimic behavior and the higher intelligence required to produce it would be an adaptive advantage, right? ie, the female would select the best and smartest genes to pass along in response to this behavior.

[Dysart]

Nobody.

[EEGator]

My point exactly.

[Ron C.]

Yeah but, how many ‘scientists’ believe the earth is only about 4 to 5 thousand years old at most?

[Psiman]

Indeed. Those “science” bozos are just pulling it out of their butts.

[Dysart]

I am unaware of any credible person that subscribes to such nonsense.

[OldNavyVet]

Who thinks the world is 150 million years old?

From "Darwin's Ghost" by Steve Jones, we have (based on Moon rocks picked up on the Apollo XI mission) that the Earth is 4.5 billion years old.

[sauropod]

My thought precisely.

[EEGator]

I’m in agreement with that. My point was to the original poster stating 150 million. No one thinks that.

[muawiyah]

What the female is looking for is some sign that the parrot is her kinda' guy ~ not that he has superior genes ~ just the same genes.

His ability to produce the signal that conveys that information is the part that tells her if he's capable of helping feed the chicks.

BTW, all the parrots of the same species have just about the same genes ~ maybe a few differences here and there with methylation ~ but same same!

My concern with parrots is they have more advanced brains ~ and yet they don't do very much different from other birds ~ in fact, my son prove that you can call a parrot down from a tree to sit on your shoulder just as you might a crow or a duck. Surprised his girlfriend I'll tell you that, but not me ~ or our other relatives.

Seriously, being a bird is not a mentally challenging occupation

[Dysart]

You dont think the female Parrot or Mockingbird chooses the best possible mate conveyed by superior songs, and some other display behavior among her suitors of the same species? Surely not.