Re: Biggest predators

["Jaime A. Headden" <qilongia@yahoo.com>]

Berislav wrote:
 
<I'd second :whatever were ornithomimosaurs doing, Deinocheirus was
doing - only on a bigger scale. It might have been omnivorous (like
bears and pigs). The arms and claws seem well suited for digging, too.>

  Fat and robust, but not flat bottomed. You want digger-type claws,
*Pelecanimimus* and *Anserimimus* are the animals for you, with very
flat-bottomed claws. *Deinocheirus'* claws are, even though they are
fat, have quite a round upper curvature (weak under-curvature), and
may have sported more than a short, downwardly pointed sheath that
would have been great should the animal ever need defend itself.

<On the other side, Therizinosaurs claws were exactly scythe-like with
razor sharp edge: One "slap" with the hand armed with those claws
would shred the opponent to ribbons (remember the Elm Street?).
Perfect for cutting throats of long-necked dinosaurs.>

  Except the claws are just as weakly recurved as *Deinocheirus'*, and
would have been more suited to poking things that slashing them. They
had rounded bases, but agreeably were less rounded than
*Deinocheirus*, but more sharper than even *Deinonychus*! Vexacious.

  However, ecologically, what relationship would these 30+ foot
animals all have shared in the Nemegt? Would they have competed for
anything? Space-wise, who would have knocked the other out as supreme
contender?

  Deinocheirus, 35+ft based on ornithomimosaur
                body plan -omnivore?
  Therizinosaurus, ~40ft based on either Kishian,
                   Paulian, or Dong and Russellian
                   body plans -herbivore/omnivore?
  "Tarbosaurus", ~35ft unquestionable tyrannosaur
                 body plan -carnivore
  Saurolophus, 35ft unquestionable saurolophin
               lambeosaurine hadrosaur body plan
               -herbivore

==
- Greek proverb: "Knowledge is Inherent;
  Stupidity is Learned." -

Jaime A. Headden

Qilong, the website, at:
( http://members.tripod.com/~Qilong/ )
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