Re: don' t think that flies

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

Quoting Graydon <oak@uniserve.com>:

> On Sun, Nov 23, 2008 at 11:20:31PM +0100, David Marjanovic scripsit:
> >> Nest Structure for Sauropods: Sedimentary Criteria for Recognition ...
> >> PALAIOS; February 2004
> >
> > Oops.
> 
> That's not evidence against piling heaps of vegetation over the nests
> and walking away, is it?
> 
> It's evidence against a buried-in-sand, sea-turtle style nest; it's not
> evidence against a Mallee fowl style nests, though.

The problem with burying eggs in vegetation is that it heats up as it rots. 
Mallee fowls and 
megapodes have to constantly tend their nest mound, checking the temperature 
inside them with 
their beaks and either scraping vegetation out (if it's getting too hot) or 
adding more to the mound 
(if it's cooling down). If the nest mound gets too cold or too hot, then the 
eggs die.

Burying in sand is the better option for the lay'em and leave'em types, since 
the temperature tends 
to remain fairly constant.

-- 
___________________________________________________________________

Dann Pigdon
GIS / Archaeologist              http://geo_cities.com/dannsdinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia             http://heretichides.soffiles.com
___________________________________________________________________