Re: A load of questions

["Mike Hoffmann" <Mike.Hoffmann@mch.sni.de>]

> This depends on what one reads. There are several books that relate the new
> ideas about dinosaurs -- but you might have to seek them out. For example:

> [...]

*sigh* I have all the wrong books. But you can't imagine how hard it is to
get good books on dinos here in Germany. I know of 1 (one!) good one - and all
the others are kiddies books.

I now have a mail-order bookstore in the US, but they don't have too many of the
good ones on dinos. The few they have, I already ordered and have - all of them.
The rest : also kiddy books.

> _Utahraptor_ was discovered by James Kirkland in 1991, identified by its 25-
> centimeter-long (nine-inch) claw core. While other material was discovered in
> Utah in 1975, it was not officially described and named until 1993. (Ibid. 
> Page
> 503.)

When I read that my "something's wrong" bump begins to itch. COnsidering that
the true claw must have been even larger, with its horn sheath, I wonder if
the whole killer-claw story might not be a false lead.

COuld it be that the claw wasn't a weapon for hunting at all? That it was only
for mating show-offs. What I mean is, has anybody ever tried to do some
calculations, if the dromaeosaurids could have effectively deployed the claw as
a weapon without breaking the creatures foot bones and tendons?

If I imagine a 40cm (with horn sheath) claw on a Utahraptor that stands some
2-3m high, especially with most of the drawings of the way droms. moved, I 
wonder
if that thing might not have been an impediment more than a weapon.

> discovered after the film was in production. Someone then remarked that
> _Utahraptor_  was a case of life imitating art. It would be inaccurate to say
> the _Jurassic_Park_ _Velociraptors_ were _Utahraptors_ since _Utahraptor_ was
> essentially unknown at the time.

Yes, I heard that remark more than once, when JP was still in vogue. And I
answered every time along the line of: "That is like making a movie that has
tigers as main actors, but you use tiger-sized ocelots to play them. And then
you justify that with suddenly discovering a tiger-sized leopard." If you get
my meaning :-)

Mike


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INTERNET: Mike.Hoffmann@mch.sni.de
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