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Re: Dancing Jobaria
From: "Ken Kinman" <kinman@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: kinman@hotmail.com
To: dinosaur@usc.edu
Subject: Dancing Jobaria
Date: Wed, 02 Jan 2002 22:28:05
In my opinion, such a dinosaur could rear up on its back legs on
special occasions (defending itself or males mounting a female). In other
words, sort of like present-day elephants (in the wild). But this is
somewhat risky behavior in large animals, which could result in a
dislocated
shoulder or broken bones from a fall (or just coming back down too hard).
Every time I have watched Jurassic Park (One), I always wince when
that sauropod rears way up to feed off that tall tree and then its weight
comes crashing down on it front legs. WHY?? Risking possible injury just
for a mouthful of leaves it could have easily gotten by stretching its neck
up a bit further. It almost looked like Dino (on the Flintstones) begging
for food (i.e., pretty silly).
Anyway I really hate that part of Jurassic Park. It just doesn't
make
any sense, and also reminds me of elephants dancing in a circus (do they
still do that sort of thing?). Such graviportal animals don't normally
take
that kind of risk in nature unless motivated by fear (or sexual arousal in
a
male).
That was one of the biggest Jurassic Park blunders of all, and
mounting
a Jobaria skeleton in such a rare pose seems to be grandstanding (no pun
intended) that is just as bad. It's almost as irritating as a documentary
dinosaur knocking over the camera. It might even be worse, as it could
give
some people the idea that Jobaria was bipedal.
----- Ken Kinman
******************************************
It's possible, ever see National Geographic documentary "Dinosaur Giants:
Found?" well Paul Sereno got that idea of mounting Jobaria from a very large
elephant in Ontario, and it really stood up on its hindlegs for quite a
while, I was really amazed what this animal could do for that lenght of
time. If you you ever come a cross it, you'll see what I mean!
Steven Coombs
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Steven's Dinosaurs: http://ca.geocities.com/steven16_84
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