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MattMart — Screaming Biplane Killer
Published: 2009-10-04 02:30:46 +0000 UTC; Views: 4635; Favourites: 74; Downloads: 8
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Description
Killer of lizards and small mammals at least.Microraptor zhaoianus (synonym of M. gui IMO), updated version of my older sketch, now in color! See writeup and scale chart here:
[link]
The blue coloration is based on the blue-gray hue of the feather remains in some of the fossils. Traces of iridescence...?
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Comments: 11
In retrospect, this is pretty freaking crazy, Matt.
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Some yahoos used your image (with proper attribution, of course) here: [link]
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The nerve of some people. That's what I get for using CC licensing
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The title somehow reminds me of "Screamin' Eagles" of killing bombs falling down the sky. Great job on the detail and color
+1Fav
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Haha, thanks! Can't take credit for the title as Greg Paul coined that term for basal dromaeosaurs, agree on its high degree of badassery.
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What makes you go "Haha"? Those bombs like eagles whoop down and catch their prey?
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Could Microraptor probably grab prey from the ground in mid air? I've heard that if Microraptor parachuted straight to the ground, it'd kill itself, but could it pull up in time?
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Here's a description of the Microraptor gliding paper with diagrams:
[link]
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The only study I've found of Microraptor gliding has it dropping in a phugoid curve--dipping toward the ground then sharply up to meet a tree trunk. However it didn't have grasping feet, so it couldn't have captured prey on the wing. I think if it tried to grap prey off the ground at the low point of the curve with its jaws, it would probably faceplant...
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Looks like it probably had to catch prey on foot or in the trees then, only flying or gliding to get around quicker.
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