Re: KICKING HADROSAURS

[Jonathon Woolf <jwoolf@erinet.com>]

Richard L. Dieterle wrote:
> 
> This is precisely what bothered me, and why I suggested that they may have
> literally jumped upon small predators.  This way they could get their feet out
> in front of their body more.  I believe that roosters when they fight leap in
> the fashion that I have in mind, as they too have rather forward leaning 
> bodies.
> That's why I asked (or meant to ask) about their ability to leap as suggested 
> by
> the anatomy of their legs and pelvises.

I'm afraid I don't find this much more plausible.  To my eyes, the basic
hadrosaur is an animal that probably usually operated as a quadruped,
though it could be a biped if it wanted or needed to.  Maybe not for
very long, though.  It seems like the center of mass is too far forward
of the hips for a hadrosaur like _Maiasaura_ to be a natural,
well-balanced biped like a theropod or a rooster.  Hadrosaurs might have
been able to 'box' with the forelimbs, but I don't see them being able
to deliver any kind of effective hind-limb kick.  I also don't picture
them as very good jumpers <g>, though I admit that's just a hunch.  

-- JSW