Re: Nocturnal crocs?

[John Bois <jbois@umd5.umd.edu>]

On Sat, 25 Aug 2001, Morgan Churchill wrote:

> Dinosaurs are also known from desert like habitats, and thier were
"prairie" ecosystems, they were just dominated by ferns, and other plants.

Grass is special.  Critical traits not possessed by ferns (to my
knowledge) are: root system (among other plants with roots, grass roots
are amazing absorbers of water--capturing every drop before it drains into
soil depths; wind pollination rather than motile sperm (i.e., there is
more wind than water in a desert); grazing tolerance (I forget how it
works, but a grass plant's growth mechanism is not affected by
cropping)--therefore higher productivity; rapid growth rate.  So, it's not
just concealment, but continued productivity in very arid areas that are
essential to the ostrich.