RE: The Potentials....

[John Clavin <jclavin@microsoft.com>]

I can't see a top/lone predator making it - too difficult to look after
"children" during the learning process.
But predators almost always have larger brains than herbivores....
I'd favour any of the pack hunters - by definition they've got to have some
co-operative traits, so it's not too hard to see them defining roles for
some of the pack, which is a learned behaviour and thus a sign of a higher
intelligence.


-----Original Message-----
From: Charles C. Fuller [mailto:wuckus@ecol.net]
Sent: 27 July 1998 17:11
To: John Dollan; Dinosaur List
Subject: Re: The Potentials....


You wrote...

> In your own opinions, with perhaps a little explanation, I'd like to
> know what type of Dinosaur might have evolved into intelligence had the
> KT extinction never occured.

Other than the obvious vote for Ronald Reagan, it is hard to avoid the
suggestion of the great predators, but I wonder if this is not the result
of an in-built prejudice for agressive pro-active creatures (like our
species), as opposed to passive reactive creatures (like most herbivores.)

Apologizing in advance for incidentally implying that vegetarians are
"passive reactive." I know better than that, and will beat everyone to the
punch by flaming my own self at this time.

"You are an idiot."

There.