Biplane Bird

[BrassFusion]

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=120842007

Microraptor was a type of dinosaur known as a dromaeosaur and may be a relative of early birds. It was about 30 inches (77 cm) long from its head to the end of its lengthy tail, with a light, pigeon-sized body.

Remarkably, it boasted two sets of wings -- on the forelimbs and hind legs -- covered with feathers laid out in a manner similar to birds. It was a glider -- like a flying squirrel -- apparently not capable of true flight.

The article goes on to talk about what may have led to its phenotype, and how it may or may not have been the precursor to modern birds...

dinosaurs are cool enough, but when you start getting into the small animals from the way-back it all seems so fantastic and unreal. i mean, primitive rats that aren't rats? primitive spiders that aren't spiders?

biplane birds?

great scientific practice takes a suspension of disbelief (at least for me)

[Gaf The Horse With Tears]

"great scientific practice takes a suspension of disbelief"

You mean Faith?

BTW... God put them bones there so people like you had something to think about.

[Msterbeau]

God shmod... I wanna see an illustration dammit. Biplane makes me think the wings are one on top of another and that doesn't seem to be the case the way I read the description.

[BrassFusion]

"great scientific practice takes a suspension of disbelief"

You mean Faith?

nope. faith is believing what someone else tells you and science is saying "you fucker, are you lying to me? i'm gonna go dig this stuff up and run tests on it based on physical realities and see if it matches up."

"fuck, it doesn't match up. biplane bird? what the FUCK is that? oh well, i guess it's somewhat plausible until i find something that particularly supplants it."

God shmod... I wanna see an illustration dammit. Biplane makes me think the wings are one on top of another and that doesn't seem to be the case the way I read the description.

Me too.