A Different Version

(C) Gabriel (Kana-hebi)

To end the week of Alvarezsaurus, looking at an alternative view of the dinosaur lends us to some more insight as to how different people have interpreted the skeleton and inferred structures based on where the animal fits into the tree. This illustration makes Alvarezsaurus look a great deal more like a chicken or duck than when looking at the head. The forelimbs have all but disappeared, with those forelimbs being fully enveloped by feathering. Despite looking as though they have been taken into the body, the forelimbs are probably more covered in extended body feathering than they are shortened abnormally, though this could only be answered by the illustrator himself. The remainder of the body is very typical and does not appear to have any different interpretations. However, unique interpretations such as this are always welcome and intriguing because paleontology is a very inference-heavy science and thrives on these kinds of soft tissue inferences, but must be based on solid knowledge of the available anatomy.