Re: Pack behavior

[John Erick Schneiderman <dino@cwis.unomaha.edu>]

On Thu, 23 Jun 1994, Sherry Michael wrote:

> Here is another item for debate:
> 
> It seems to me that's its assumed that deinonychus and it's counterparts
> are pack hunters. As far as I can tell, this is based on fossils found in
> vicinity of each other. 
> 
> Questions:
> 
> 1) What is a vicinity, and how many animals are we talking about here? How
> many sites? Any possible other explanations, like maybe juvenile pack
> behavior? (Yes I'm being lazy not looking this up myself :) References
> would be nice, however)

IN CLOSE ASSOCIATION WOULD BE A BETTER CHOICE OF WORDS.  THE SITE WHICH
ALL THE PACK BEHAVIOR WAS INFERRED FROM WAS IN SOUTHERN MONTANA.  THE
REMAINS OF AT LEAST 4 INDIVIDUALS (DEINONYCHUS) WERE FOUND IN ASSOCIATION
WITH FRAGMENTARY REMAINS OF A SINGLE LARGE HERBIVOROUS DINOSAUR
(TENONTOSAURUS).  THE MATRIX WAS VARIEGATED SANDY BENTONITIC CLAYSTONE AND
SOME COARSE CHANNEL SAND, REPRESENTING OVERBANK FLOODPLAIN DEPOSITS.

DEINONYCHUS MATERIAL IS KNOWN FROM A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS IN BOTH MONTANA
AND WYOMING, BOTH SCATTERED BONE AND ISOLATED TEETH.

> 
> 2) I've also heard that another explanation for pack behavior is that
> these animals are too small to take down large herbivores. This is
> something I doubt, considering small prey animals such as juvenile
> Tetonosaurs (sorry my dino spellings are atrocious) have been found in
> conjunction with Deinonychus. Also, look at the set of tools these critters
> have! I don't think they would have necessarily needed help.
> 
> So is this an attempt to "mammalize" dinosaurs? Comments anyone...
> 
I AGREE WITH YOU..I THINK THE HUNTING PACK OF WOLVES DOES NOT FIT WITH THE
FOSSIL EVIDENCE.  BEHAVIOR, I FOUND IS BETTER SUPPORTED WITH FOSSIL
FOOTPRINT STUDIES.  AS FAR AS I KNOW ONLY ONE DEINONYCHOSAURIAN TRACKWAY
(DIDACTYL) HAS BEEN DISCOVERED AND THAT IS IN EARLY CRETACEOUS STRATA FROM
CHINA. THE TRACKWAY IS FROM AN INDIVIDUAL.  (NOT MUCH MORE CAN BE INFERRED)


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> Sherry Michael                         "The scientific point of view is
> Philadelphia Academy of                 that every phenomenon is in
> Natural Sciences                        nature and part of it" 
> Dino Docent/teacher                                         -Albert Kroeber
>