Re: Behaviour Bias

[Joe Daniel <jdaniel@aristotle.net>]

Gothgrrl@aol.com wrote:

<Snip>
> 
> What I'm trying to say is simply that we need to take our lead from the data,
> and only from the data. From testable models, and not from a belief that a
> "pride" of cooperatively hunting _Velociraptor_ is more interesting or
> exciting than a flock of collectively foraging _Velociraptor_.
> 
> Caitlin R. Kiernan
> 
> The big problem is that we don't have any real data on dinosaur behavior 
beyand a few nests.  We can't exactly test any models concerning their 
intelligience.  The only thing we have to work with are analogs to 
modern animals.  the only animals that fill the niches that the 
dinosaurs did in any comparative fashion are mammals.  Thus, it is no 
surprise that people talk about them in those terms.  I suppose you 
could use oras or crocodilians, but neither one is either anywhere close 
to structurally similar or have anywhere near the same ecology so they 
make laughably absurd models for dino behavior.  You are right in that 
there is most likely a bias towards their behavior and should be guarded 
against.  However, trying to use modernday reptiles for behavior models 
simply won't work.  Dinos are structurally vastly different and held 
very different niches.  Therefore they would act very differently.

Joe Daniel