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Re: B. walkeri neural spines

In PT #50, Tracey Lee Ford has a cross-section of a Spinosaurus and its trunk is very broad compared to most theropods who are much more narrower. In my opinion it could have been comparable in body shape to crocodiles for exmaple, especially being able to float like that (by the way, there is a cool sketch down by Luis Rey depicting this in A Field Guide to Dinosaurs on page 94). And maybe that huge enflated hump of "air" on their backs would have helped Spinosaurus to steal prey from a scared Sarcosuchus. But, then again there is many other possibilities for what that structure was for.

Steven Coombs
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Steven's Dinosaurs: http://www.stevensdinosaurs.com




From: Amtoine Grant <ajgrant@eastlink.ca>
Reply-To: ajgrant@eastlink.ca
To: dinosaur@usc.edu
Subject: Re: B. walkeri neural spines
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2004 00:57:52 -0300

Never though of that. On that note, I wonder how similar bone density & weight is between Baryonx & crocodiles. Does anybody know? If it, and quite presumably other members of it's family - really DID have 'crocodile-like' tendencies(lurking/swimming in water), then air sacs to help regulate it's 'floatability' in water really does make sense. Stranger things in nature have happened - an air sac on your face for display when there's so many more conventional methods, it would seem.
I've always wondered about the aquatic abilities of theropods, when you think that most all living reptiles seem to swim as naturally as a fish when presented with water, and in a 'snakelike', undulating fashion. Given that larger-er predatory reptiles today, such as monitor lizards & crocodilians, for example, share this trait, naturally theropods, which would probably have just a little bit higher drag in water than a crocodiles(the larger ones, anyway) would/should have a high probabilty of this behaviour as well. We may just be seeing what one, or closely related groups(spinosaurs & baryonchids, if you humor the separation) who enjoyed the environment more than others, responded. Thoughts?

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