Re: Hadrosaur nesting strategy...(was Re: The Life of Birds- Pa

["Larry Febo" <larryf@capital.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: <Danvarner@aol.com>
To: <larryf@capital.net>
Cc: <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 1999 12:50 PM
Subject: Re: Hadrosaur nesting strategy...(was Re: The Life of Birds- Pa
>
>   But this was the Mesozoic. The arctic was not cold at all in summer. Nor
> the Antarctic in the austral summers. Migration is much about following
the
> sun and it's attendant productivity. Back in the Age of Dinosaurs the warm
> polar regions of this planet must have run riot with life under a sun that
> would barely set for months at a time. Envisioning the long and dark but
> temperate polar winters becomes more difficult and interesting. This is
where
> Mesozoic Earth becomes an unfamiliar planet indeed (do I sound enough like
> Attenborough?).

I don`t know Dan. Do ya think it was really that hot all the time?? Sure,
hadrosaur tracks were found in Greenland, but, hey, even caribou make it up
that far, but they migrate South in the winter. Besides, do you think it
stayed hot all those millions of years without a break???


> As for predators--they can never be escaped. Mosquitoes and
> biting flies probably served out their apprenticeships on dinosaur
hatchlings
> in the Cretaceous high latitudes.

Maybe,...maybe not. As I understand it, mosquitoes are quite numerous up
North due to the large amount of standing water (in Summer of course). This
water is due primarily to the condition of permafrost present up there.....a
condition that would contradict your "warmer clime". (I know....nit
picking....or knat picking??? 8^)