Re: two hadrosaurid papers on Notebook on Geology

[Jura <pristichampsus@yahoo.com>]

--- On Sun, 7/19/09, Ignacio Ruiz <jigruiz@gmail.com> wrote:

 Letter 2 [2009]: Evidence of predation on the vertebra of
> a
> hadrosaurid dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian)
> of
> Coahuila, Mexico, by Hector E. RIVERA-SYLVA, Eberhard FREY
> & Jose
> Ruben GUZMAN-GUTIERREZ. - Reference: [CG2009_L02], 6 p.
> 
> Abstract:  In sediments of the Aguja Formation (Late
> Cretaceous:
> Campanian) at La Salada in northern part of the state of
> Coahuila,
> Mexico, numerous fossils of vertebrates have been
> discovered including
> Hadrosauridae. One hadrosaur vertebra provides evidence of
> predation
> probably by a giant alligator Deinosuchus riograndensis.

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There is a rather dramatic picture associated with this paper. It features a 
_Deinosuchus riograndensis_ attacking a startled _Kritosaurus_ sp. The picture 
illustrated a point I never really thought about before. Given that the major 
leg retractor muscle for dinosaurs, ran along the length of the tail; an attack 
on the proximal portion of that body part would seem to be the equivalent of 
hamstringing an ungulate. Especially if it was done by a critter like 
_Deinosuchus_, which has a hugely powerful bite force potential. 

I wonder if this made dinosaurs more vulnerable than mammals, for this 
particular style of attack.

Jason