Re: Sauropod Biology

[Sim Koning <simkoning@msn.com>]

 Thanks for the info David


After reading the material you provided, and after looking at several 
pictures of the animal from different angles, I would have to agree with you 
that Plateosaurus was an obligate biped as you were saying. The palms do 
face medially, and they don't seem to have the range of motion needed for 
quadrupedal locomotion. Also, I compared the body proportions with 
pacheychepalosaurs and realized that Plateosaurus isn't as front heavy as I 
was lead to believe. I also looked at pictures of Massospodylus and noticed 
that the radius was dislocated to get its arm in a quardrupedal position. I 
don't think ALL prosauropods were obligate bipeds however. Certainly 
Riojasaurus was primarily quadrupedal. Anyway, sorry to play devil's 
advocate and defend the outdated view. It's just that all my books and other 
sources, even the recent ones, still show them walking around on all fours, 
so I just wanted to be sure =) It's amazing how much our view of dinosaurs 
is changing.


Sim Koning