Re: Dino egg laying

[GABHAN PETTIGREW <SGL3GP@CARDIFF.AC.UK>]

> One thing that worries me is how the eggs are laid in the first place.  If 
> the eggs are so thin it is likely that the parent would have to squat to 
> lay (because if it were dropped from any height, it would break!).  If 
> the dinosaur had to squat, it is difficult for it to produce regular lines 
> of eggs without the tail breaking them.  Even more difficult for a 
> sauropod, I imagine :-)  I believe they may have dug a hole, or 
> trench?, an squated over it to lay the eggs.  I'm just thinking allowed 
> here, but I have trouble imagining how the eggs are physically laid.
> 
> Neil

I recently read read a letter in Tyrant about this issue.  Apparently 
in birds they have to squat to lay because while they're standing the 
muscles prevent the egg from being ejected, they have to squat down 
to relax the muscles and allow the egg to pass down the cloaca.  

This was probably true for the bipedal theropods, but may have been 
different in the other groups.

Also back to Troodon, it would be strange if it did lay its eggs on 
the ground and then abanden them in full veiw of other predators.  It 
must have either burried them, or guarded the eggs before they 
hatched, perhaps then abandening the ?precocial chicks. (I quite like 
the sound of chicks;-)
CHEERS,
GABHAN PETTIGREW     If you can't fool all of the people  
Sgl3GP@Cardiff.ac.UK all of the time, then we should be  
Cardiff University   breeding them for stupidity (Cerebus)