RE: dinosaur steaks and muscle fiber types

["Stewart, Dwight" <Dwight.Stewart@VLSI.com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: James Norton [SMTP:JNorton@mailbox.une.edu]
> Sent: Thursday, January 07, 1999 5:59 AM
> To:   dinosaur@usc.edu
> Subject:      dinosaur steaks and muscle fiber types
> 
> Perhaps the thread about eating dino meat can be turned into something
> scientific.  Ostrich meat is dark and "steak-like" because of the
> preponderance of fatigue-resistance, "red" muscle fibers, highly aerobic
> and signifying a creature that is very active.  Croc meat, especially the
> tail, looks more like chicken breast or white fish because the muscle
> fibers are more of the fatigue-prone, anaerobic, glycogen-dependent,
> "white" type.  Those of us who consider dinos as highly active would
> expect a theropod steak to be more like bear meat than chicken, red,
> juicy, and flavorful.
> 
> JMN
> 
> 
> James M. Norton, Ph.D.
> University of New England
> College of Osteopathic Medicine
> 11 Hill's Beach Road
> Biddeford, ME  04005
> phone: (207)283-0171 x2270
> fax: (207)286-9493
> email: jnorton@mailbox.une.edu
> 
        ###############################################

           The morphology of different dinosaurs would seem to indicate a
variety of muscle fiber types.  And, not to forget
        there are gradations of muscle fiber types.  At first blush, a
Gallimimus would logically fit the red muscle (so-called
        slow twitch) model & something like an Apatosaurus would PROBABLY
fit the white fiber model better.  This can
        really only be determined with a muscle tissue biopsy however.  I
don't believe there is evidence for any extant
        animal fitting into an either/or category here though.  Instead,
it's more a matter of percentages.  
           There must be research out there somewhere on crocodile & emu or
ostrich muscular morphology/kinesiology?

        Dwight