Re: don' t think that flies

["Richard W. Travsky" <rtravsky@uwyo.edu>]

On Mon, 24 Nov 2008, Dann Pigdon wrote:
> Quoting "Richard W. Travsky" <rtravsky@uwyo.edu>:
> > On Mon, 24 Nov 2008, Dann Pigdon wrote:
> > > 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.
> >
> > Tending would require staying in the same locality for an extended period
> > of time and local food resources for a creature the size of a sauropod I'm
> > sure would run out.
>
> Lots of animals fast while tending their nests. Sauropods could have 
> built up huge reserves of fat prior to nesting.

I would think that'd conjure up a whole different set of issues!

I have this horrible image now of a fat sauropod...