Re: Herbivore protection

[brucet@mindspring.com (bruce thompson)]

>Dinos, on the other hand, because of egg laying, need only protect the
>nest and young after they are born. The large eggs can be passed as soft
>bodies, and harden later (maybe).  Little physiological investment
>relative to a mammalian mom (although I am sure there are extreme
>circumstances, like the hornbill and the penguin - interestingly they have
>few young!).
>
>Just some thoughts,
>
>Matt

For a less pleasant thought:  do you suppose hadrosaur chicks would try to
oust weak last-born siblings, like pigeons do?  Or picture a lost dino
chick wandering around the colony calling for its mother, being rejected
and even assaulted by adult strangers (some penguins do this).

bruce



        "Dammit, Philbert; what kind of a lepidopterist are you?  For god's 
sake,
man; stand up to them!"