Re: Dinosaur speeds

[NJPharris@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/21/00 8:16:18 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
jrhutch@socrates.berkeley.edu writes:

> However, I don't trust relative stride length [= stride length/ hip ht] as
>  a conclusive indicator of gait.  We had elephants walking at a 2.8 RSL
>  which according to Thulborn should be a trot (trot= 2.0 to 2.9 RSL); it was
>  not even close.  (we presented this stuff at SICB, and I know others have
>  recently made similar conclusions)

Elephants don't trot, do they?  Elephant legs are put together rather 
differently from those of theropods (much straighter through the whole step 
cycle, for one thing), and this makes me wary of studies based on elephants 
being extrapolated to theropods.

--Nick P.