re:T rex hunting techniques

[Betty Cunningham <bettyc@flyinggoat.com>]

Graeme Worth wrote:

> If these suppositions are anywhere near correct, the problem of T. rex
> falling would be dramatically reduced - it would only be an animal who was
> itself terrified of something (rare!?) or desperate enough to try and run
> down prey over a distance when its preferred strategies had for some reason
> not worked that would be running at top speed over long enough distances to
> make the possibility of tripping high enough to cause problems.


some musings on the design of T rex....
  The head of an adult T rex is approximatly 12-20 feet forwards from
where it's legs hit the ground. The eyes, as it's been so commonly
pointed out, are forward facing.  They seem to be about 3-4 feet back
from the end of the snout (I have nothing to show me the scale in the
photos I have of dinosaur skulls).  So you've got an animal that can
only see where it's feet are going to go, but may never actually be
able to watch it's own feet while walking or running without rearing
it's head back or twisting the neck to the side.
   If it's following prey, I suggest it's not watching where it's feet
are going, but would instead watch the prey, walking or running.  Or
sniff after the prey, which would also entail not watching it's own
feet.
   If it's walking or running through a flood plain, forest, woods, or
beach, the most easily tripped on thing I can think of is a fallen
tree.  This could be exposed or partailly sunk in dirt or sand or
appear as driftwood.

Now how easy would it be for an animal that can't see where it's own
feet are, which is paying attention to what ever it's chasing, that
may be walking or running over cross-country terrain, to trip?  I
wouldn't do the things that T rex probably did at a run, but then,
I've got a bigger brain, and I'm not extinct yet.

-Betty