Re: bipedal lunges

[Chris Campbell <sankarah@ou.edu>]

John Clavin (Digital) wrote:
> 
> While not discounting the possibility of triceratops being able to rise
> briefly onto it's hind legs (after all the elephant can do it for
> sustained periods), I don't see the advantage of it.
> Where's the evolutionary advantage of all that head armour, if you're
> going to get up and dance when you get in trouble. Much of triceratops
> defence comes from threat, few would willingly face a charging one; and
> the ability to rotate the head, combined with the power advantage of all
> that muscle in the shoulders makes them dangerous at close quarters.
> The only time I can see rising on the hind legs to be useful is in
> driving the horns into an opponent at the end of a charge, when momentum
> would likely force both protagonists to rise up.

I think that's mainly how it would be used; wasn't that the original
argument?  I get the impression that they'd be operating in much the
same manner as bighorn sheep, only against opponents as opposed to
conspecifics.

Chris