Catholic Scientist writes:
The emu feet still have scales on them!
so, birds have two kinds of scales on their feet: reticulae (on the bottoms, the round reptilian scales) and the scutellae (flat plate-like scales on the top).
it turns out that the scutes have a strong relationship to feathers, and
lacking a certain protein in development, become feathers. this likely means that birds have one gene that controls feather development all over their bodies, including their feet (such as in
microraptor), and another that turns them off in particular places.
ie: the dinosaurian scales evolved from feather, not vice-versa.
Awesome information! Thank you.
Its not that hard to imagine scales and feathers as being a variation of the same "thing". I always thought that feathers were just elongated scales but I guess I'll have to change that to some scales just being shortened feathers.
I'm gonna add this link to my other thread, thanks again.
Where'd the reticulae come from? Fish have scales, but the amphibians don't, and then reptiles do again. Are there any semi-scaly amphibian fossils? I wonder how early the retiples split...
I suppose I have some reading to do.