Re: Spinosaurids, the Orca's on land?

[Michael Bruce Habib <mbh3q@cms.mail.virginia.edu>]

> Spinosaurids have conical teeth, larger than Killer Whales, they to could
> rip up their meal (had to at some point, at least it?s larger meals). 
> Perhaps they ripped holes into sauropods?

There are only a few prey items that Orcas take that are 
their size are larger, these being a few species of baleen 
whale.  Even sharks and seals can be swallowed whole.  When 
attacking a whale, an Orca can indeed tear and rip, but my 
understanding is that this ability to tear with conical 
teeth pivots on aquatic movement: the Orcas can bite and 
then move their bodies in any given direction.  Since the 
neck vertebrae in dolphins (Orcas included) are short and 
mostly immobile, the entire body is moved as a unit, and 
this produces a mechanical advantage which tears.  This can 
be a lever-like motion, or a rolling motion.  I doubt that 
a spinosaur (as a terrestrial predator) could use the same 
method, especially a roll.

Crocs also have conical teeth, and they spin/roll to tear 
as well (the infamous "death roll").


Michael Habib
mbh3q@virginia.edu