Re: Migration & feeding habits

[ST-grock@artemis.earth.monash.edu.au (Darren R. Grocke)]

Lightwaves@aol.com wrote:

>Could it be that egg carrying females
>required special diets that was only available at certian times of the year?
>Is there any hard evidence concerning any of this?

The debate is hot regarding migratory behaviour in dinosaurs, especially
when more find are being found in high-palaeolatitudinal sites; for example
North Slope (Alaska), South-east coast (Victoria) and Antarctica.  Clues
regarding this matter may be determined biogeochemically, but I know of no
researcher who has considered looking for biogeochemical migratory
signatures within bones or teeth.  It has been shown in modern analogues
that maternal animals do show different signatures (e.g., trace element)
when "egg carrying".  Perhaps studies of this kind may help to unravel
changes in diet with respect to life-style patterns (e.g., nesting and
maternity periods).

I strongly believe however that dinosaurs (esp. duckbills and
hysilophodontids) exhibit behaviour similar to African wildebeast and/or
gazelles, hence animals migrate with the inborn response to survive and
more importantly to search for food.

Regards,


Darren