Re: Penguins And Rexes

[Jordan Mallon <jordan.mallon@gmail.com>]

On 8/12/05, Phil Bigelow <bigelowp@juno.com> wrote:

> The following is pure speculation.  If a huge *terrestrial* animal could
> not extricate itself from a fall, or it could not extricate itself from
> an "unsual" rest position (e.g., laying on its side), then I propose that
> the animal never existed in the first place.

I imagine this has been discussed on list before (and I appologize for
bringing it up again if it has), but to run with Don's original
question, could sauropods sleep standing up as elephants and horses
do?  I have a hard time picturing them getting up from laying on their
sides.  I imagine sleeping while standing would require some sort of
"locking" of the limb joints so as to allow the limb muscles to relax.
 I don't imagine we can see this in amorphous sauropod bones... but do
we?

On 8/13/05, Mickey Mortimer <Mickey_Mortimer111@msn.com> wrote:

> I think Lambe suggested this way back in 190_ for his lazy Albertosaurus.

You're thinking of Lambe's 1917 description of Gorgosaurus.  Here's
the drawing from that paper, for those who haven't seen it:
http://www.lhl.lib.mo.us/events_exhib/exhibit/exhibits/dino/images/lam1h.jpg

-- 
Jordan Mallon

BScH, Carleton University
Vertebrate Palaeontology & Palaeoecology

Paleoart website: http://www.geocities.com/paleoportfolio/
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