Agonized Gorgosaurus (was RE: Agonized death in dinos - my thoughts.)

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>]

> From: owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu [mailto:owner-DINOSAUR@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
> Jura
>
> Also, despite the authours statements that opisthotony
> often results from the expaxial muscles outcontracting
> the hypaxial muscles, they admit that this is not
> always the case. Note the _Gorgosaurus_ in fig 1H. The
> neck is arched dorsally, while the tail is arched

The tail of this specimen is just paint, except for a few of the midcaudals. 
Here
(http://www.hrw.com/science/si-science/biology/animals/burgess/dino/gorgo.html) 
is a recent photo of it, and here
(http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/bitstream/2246/3207/1/N0089.pdf) is the 
initial description (p. 1, 3) and photo (p. 2) of it,
back when it was AMNH 5428.

Matthew & Brown have something to say about opisthotony (at least in the 
context of "lockjaw") on p. 3 of that paper, and give the
standard explanation (the one I've considered most reasonable for years, 
although the Faux & Padian paper is making me consider
other possibilities...).

                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
        Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
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