Re: Blood flow in Sauropods

[ornstn@inforamp.net (Ronald Orenstein)]

>        Well, the oft-beleaguered response to the "elephants can be
>tripodal, therefore sauropods and steogsaurs can" issue, and the one that
>makes sense to me, is "Well, sure elephants _can_ be tripodal, but they've
>never been observed in such a pose in the wild (to my knowledge)."  
... Trees in the African savannahs are taller than elephants, but
>you don't see them rearing up to get their trunks into the higher parts of
>the trees;

Sorry, but you sure do.  Elephants haven't got the tail for a "tripodal"
position, but they certainly rear in the wild.  This is rare but it has been
both observed and photographed.  I have just confirmed this point with Dr.
Jeheskel Shoshani of the Elephant Research Foundation, who has just seen
such photos.  Of course such behaviour is rare but not unknown.  Usually the
animals use a tree for support (and they are doing it to reach higher
browse); there is apparently one photo of a wild elephant rearing unsupported.
--
Ronald I. Orenstein                           Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home)
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