Re: Dinosaur sitting posture

["Peter Von Sholly" <vonrex@gte.net>]

Interesting questions.  Makes me wonder too... could sauropods roll over? 
That would be something to see!  Did they sleep standing up?  I watched a
kangaroo sit down once and it made me think a lot of how a theropod might
have done it.  And the way its legs were held when sitting was much like
the way GSP does his "raptors".  Of course they could rest on the public
boot.  
As for rearing up on hind legs, it would seem that all quardupeds (even
ankylosaurs) had to be able to it- at very least for mating. I imagine
diplodocids sometimes wanted to rear up to look around and sniff the air
(for food, water, danger, mates...).  The vantage point from up there would
be a lot better than their usual one if their helds were held low as some
now suggest.  And I think a zap from one of those tails would HURT!  Any
allosaurid who received one would probably never mess around with a
sauropod again.  
I know we may not get any closer to the truth about dinosaur behavior from
this kind of stuff (or know it if we did) because it's impossible to prove
whether we're right or not, but I can't help speculating about it.  Without
such daydreams, dinosaurs become a matter of lists and categories for me.

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From: David Krentz <david_krentz@fa.disney.com>
To: dinosaur <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Subject: Dinosaur sitting posture
Date: Thursday, October 23, 1997 10:22 AM

                      Subject:                              Time:  9:56 AM
  OFFICE MEMO         Dinosaur sitting posture              Date:  10/23/97

  There are many reconstructions of dinosaurs seated and lounging around
these days, and I'd be curious to know what many of you consider to
possible
in regards to likely "resting postures".  I have my own ideas, but
professional opinions would benifit my work greatly.  Is the spine of
theropods flexible enough to twist 90 degrees laterally to allow such a
pose
as illustrated by Paul in PDW pg119?
If a short bodied Ceratopian were to lie on it's side, could it easily get
up?  Are modern mammals, such as rhinos and elephants ( I'm primarily using
these examples for their size, not anatomy) good models to use for
comparison
in this case?  This would make a good discussion for all the artists on
this
list.  It would also make a very original mount for a museum ( I seem to
recall a hadrosaur skeleton in this pose)
 David Krentz
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