Re: Acrocanthosaurus movement

[David Marjanovic <david.marjanovic@gmx.at>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher Taylor" <ck.taylor@auckland.ac.nz>
Sent: Monday, June 20, 2005 6:02 AM

> "[...] It was found that the humerus can swing
> posteriorly into a horizontal position but can neither swing laterally to
> glenoid height nor anteriorly much beyond the glenoid. The forearm can
> approach but not achieve full extension and right-angle flexion. [...]
> Motion also seems to be restricted at the wrist. The palm faces
> medially, and digital movement is subtransverse. All three digits are
> capable of extreme hyper-extension. Digits I and II converge during 
> flexion.
> Only digit III can be abducted or adducted. The limited anterior range of
> brachial motion infers that Acrocanthosaurus first apprehended prey 
> orally,
> using the forelimb afterwards to secure its grip or deliver fatal blows.
> Acrocanthosaurus could only manually grasp prey that was beneath its 
> chest,
> towards which it may have used its mouth to move prey. Struggling prey 
> would
> have impaled itself further upon the permanently and strongly flexed first
> ungual.

*Tyrannosaurus* sounds like an exaggerated version of this, minus the 
hyperextension and the extra-large thumb claws. An interesting case of 
convergence?