Re: Sinornithoides in DA... the first Sleeping Dragon.

[TooTs <DragonsClaw@gmx.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: <MariusRomanus@aol.com>
To: <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Sunday, August 14, 2005 6:36 AM
Subject: Re: Sinornithoides in DA... the first Sleeping Dragon.


> In a message dated 8/13/2005 8:29:53 PM Alaskan Standard Time,
> qilongia@yahoo.com writes:
>
> >> Indeed, this is true. The authors of the *Mei* paper noted
> *Sinornithoides* similar posture, but indicated that the preservation
level was lessened
> compared to that of *Mei*, so that their new taxon was "conclusive"
whereas the
> Chinese animal was not. Debate concerns whether curled up in a "sleeping"
> posture is verifiable, as to that of huddling during a volcanic disaster
or
> eolian/sandslide burial. <<
>
> I don't believe what we have here is a sleeping posture either. It really
> looks as if what we actually have preserved is the futile attempt to
protect
> against a volcanic/landslide onslaught. (I must have somehow forgotten the
mention
> of Sino's posture in Mei's paper. I didn't bother to go back through it
> before posting. Regardless, I don't see what's so inconclusive about
Sino's posture
> in respects to Mei's anyway.)
>

Hm, arent both animals members of families known for their cursorial
adaptions? Isnt "seek a good hiding place/curl up into a "defensive ball"
and remain like that until the danger is over" a behaviour more common
amongst animals that are not very cursorial in their adaptions? I wouldnt
expect such behaviour to be part of the standard repertoire for cursorial
animals - I would rather expect them to "run like hell". "The animal was
sleeping and got caught by some sort of catastrophy" sounds a more likely
explanation to me then "The animal faced some sort of catastrophy, broke
it's usual pattern of behaviour and subsequently got killed (apparently
without making even an attempt to uncurl and run!)". Sorry, but the latter
sounds way more far fetched then the birdlike sleeping posture.
Greetings
Torsten van der Lubbe