RE: Dromaeosaur hunting strategy : cat style, dog style ??

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>]

> From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
> Dino Beast
>
> In the past I thought (with some reading) that Dromaeosaurs are lightly
> built agile roadrunners hunting in packs - which more like a dog style
> hunting.  However, currently I have also read that the tibia is
> bulkier than
> other maniraptoran with additional muscle attachment points on the hind
> limb.  With this structural arrangement it is more like to hunt by ambush
> (still in packs) with short ditance sprinting - which more like a
> cat style.
>
> Is there any study on the hunting strategy of dromaeosaurs and
> what is the
> current view ??
>

I have advocated a "cat-like" style for dromaeosaurids, based on (among
other things) the ecomorphology of dromaeosaurids and the "fighting
dinosaur" specimen.

You may be interested in this link, from the Precambrian of the dinosaur
list...
http://www.cmnh.org/dinoarch/1994Nov/msg00148.html

Incidentally, there are two theropod predation articles (one is Farlow &
Holtz, one is just me) which should be published in the space of the next 12
months.

Also, please check out the DML archives for the (many many many) postings on
the contraversial nature of the evidence for dromaeosaur pack hunting.  (In
brief, there is some potential evidence for this behavior in Deinonychus;
there is at present no evidence for this behavior in any other dromaeosaurid
taxon.  Also, consider how extremely closely related taxa (like lions and
tigers) might be osteologically nearly identical but have radically
different approaches to group hunting).

                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                Vertebrate Paleontologist
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
                College Park, MD  20742
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/tholtz.htm
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite
Phone:  301-405-4084    Email:  tholtz@geol.umd.edu
Fax (Geol):  301-314-9661       Fax (CPS-ELT): 301-405-0796
>