rearing browsers

[Nick Longrich <longrich@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>]

        All ye naysayers:
Was looking at Alexanders "Dyanamics of Dinosaurs and Extinct Giants" and 
came across the figure that a Diplodocus carries a whopping 78% of its 
weight on the back legs, and Stegosaurus, 82%. How's that for rearing 
ability? Granted, these are BMNH models, but I'll bet if you use a more 
modern reconstruction, you'll get an even higher figure perhaps- 
Diplodocus and Stegosaurus really had very short bodies, and older 
reconstructions might not reflect this. In addition, if they pulled their 
front limbs back, the center of gravity would go even farther 
back. Apatosaurus still carried most of its weight on the back end, but 
was substantialy lower- maybe like 70 or 75%, I don't remember off the 
top of my head. 
        -nick L.