Re: T-Rex

[sean.kerns@sdrc.com (Snake)]

> 
> I would like your opinion of how the T-Rex obtained it's prey. Did it
> stalk, chase it down, or rely on surprise attacks, or was it a
> scavenger? I think it relied on surprise attacks. Please give me your
> opinions. Thank you in advance. Gil
> 
> 
> -- 
> Gilfredo Rodriguez                    You don't need to be a genius to
> Student Hocking County                        use a computer. You just need to
> ab564@seorf.ohiou.edu                 have one.
> 

Well, though I will preface this by saying I am not primarily
trained as a paleontologist, I have a problem with the idea
that it was solely a scavenger. My personal theory is that,
being a well-equipped, powerful, warm-blooded carnivore in need
of a lot of food, it did all three.

Despite the fact that Jack Horner really seems to believe in
his scavenger theory, I have a hard time accepting a (successful) 
scavenger of that mass and equipped that brutally (nature tends
to favor conservatism in scavengers; you never know when something
will drop dead for you to eat). I also have not had the need for
stereo vision or legs that massive in an animal whose food doesn't
move exaplined to my satisfaction.

I personally believe that tyrranosaurids were cagey, wiley
predators, who could chase their food down, or spring on 
unsuspecting prey, and who, like most good predators today,
wouldn't pass up a free meal (i.e., scavenge), esp. if they were
hungry, as they undoubtedly were, quite frequently.

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*  Snake---------                                          *
*  sean.kerns@sdrc.com                                     *
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