Re: (Fwd) Large Dino Growth

[Stan Friesen <swf@ElSegundoCA.ATTGIS.COM>]

>From: Skip Dahlgren <SDAHLGREN@liblan.uams.edu>
 > > (However, the Morrison
 > > climate was so arid, I doubt such large trees were very common,
 > > really).
 > > 
 > 
 > This last makes me wonder - just what vegetation was there in sufficient 
 > abundance to feed the Morrison denizens, given such an arid climate?  They 
 > certainly were able to find food, but away from the river banks, what could 
 > grow in sufficient abundance and replenish itself sufficiently rapidly to 
 > support a sizeable population of veggiesauruses?  :)

Well, it is actually quite possible that some species tended to remain
close to permanent water (rivers and/or lakes), except when migrating,
and maybe when laying eggs.

Other than that, the vegetation appears to have been shrubby to
"herbaceous".  Apatosaurus was an odd sauropod, since it had the
more or less horizontal neck of a diplodocid, but was too heavy-set
to readily rear up on its hind legs.  This makes it reasonable to
conclude that it, at least, may have been a low-level "grazer".

Also, as in modern savanas, there may have been scattered small
to medium sized trees, suitable for Stegosaurus and/or the smaller
sauropods.


However, the bottom line right now is that we simply do not
understand the ecology of the Morrison all that well.

swf@elsegundoca.attgis.com              sarima@netcom.com

The peace of God be with you.