Re: sauropod rearing (and sex)

[Sim Koning <simkoning@msn.com>]

I agree with Greg Paul that all sauropods must have been able to rear up. 
You see, I used to have pet iguanas, a male and two females. I saw my 
iguanas mate several times and I noticed that in order to do it, the male 
had to put one of his legs over the hips of the female while he shifted his 
tail under hers. The reason lizards do this is because they have to line up 
their cloacas. When I looked at most restorations of dinosaurs mating, I 
realized the majority are completely wrong. The one I can think of that was 
done right, was Luis V. Rey's "Carnotaurus Sex". To get to the point, 
Sauropods males would not only have to rear up, they would also have to 
stand on one leg! Most of the weight would be rested on the female's back of 
course, but it would still be one heck of a balancing act. The male would 
have to rear up and come down gently onto the female's back. After this has 
been achieved, the male would somehow have to raise his leg over the base of 
the females tail before shifting his own tail underneath to line up their 
Cloacas.

Sim Koning