Re: Long-necked stegosaur coming out in Proceedings B

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

Quoting MICHAEL MURPHY <4mjmu@rogers.com>:

> Cool Picture here:
>  
> http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/02/25/dinosaur-zoom.html

To quote the above article:

"... two scenarios are possible."

"The first is that the long neck might have permitted it to browse for foliage 
at a height not 
frequented by other prehistoric animals. The second is that males and females 
might have found 
the trait appealing, so it evolved due to sexual selection. "

There's a third possibility, and it's been suggested for sauropods as well. If 
the tail was the main 
means of defense, then a longer tail may have given it a greater 'arc of 
thagomization'. The 
elongation of the neck may have just come along for the ride as a 
counter-balancing measure. 

-- 
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Dann Pigdon
GIS / Archaeologist              http://geo_cities.com/dannsdinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia             http://heretichides.soffiles.com
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