Interesting post. I have wondered why anyone would think that a creature with scales would, through natural selection, grow feathers. Until it was completely feathered and able to fly, there seems no benefit and a pretty significant liability to having a few feathers versus having a lot of scales. Add to that the transition from cold blooded to warm blooded... well, again, it is hard to see that happening incrementally as there is no survival advantage until the transition is complete.
The first reason for feathers, before flight was even possible, would be body temperature control for small creatures.
Feathers are insullation, keeping small animals warmer in the cold and cooler in warm times.
If those feathered animals now leap from one tree to another, or off a high bank, certain types of feathers might help extend the leap, or slow the fall...
Get it?
TN4Liberty: "Add to that the transition from cold blooded to warm blooded... well, again, it is hard to see that happening incrementally as there is no survival advantage until the transition is complete."
"Hard to see..."??
Of course it's hard to see, if you refuse to open your eyes, pal.
Today, the very words cold blooded and warm blooded are falling into disuse, precisely because there are so many intermediate living animals which have some characteristics of both.
Among generally colder-blooded animals, tuna, swordfish and sharks have some warm-blooded characteristics.
Among generally warmer-blooded animals, bats and some small birds have have colder-blooded characteristics.
In short, even today there are advantages to intermediate forms.
Why is that so "hard to see..."?