RE: tossing prey

[Robert.J.Meyerson@uwrf.edu (Rob Meyerson)]

grenard@herpmed.com writes:

>It has been my observation that alligators toss prey that
>may be too small to conveniently position and the tossing
>process seems to permit the animal to reposition it within
>its jaws.  Although the observation I mentioned earlier about
>alligators seen doing this with snakes which may have attacked
>them is valid, it is probably also true that if they attack back,
>they intend to kill & eat the attacker and not just play frisbee
>with it. This would, indeed, be a good way of getting a "handle" on
>a small or odd-shaped item of potential prey.

Have we forgotten that sauropods were herbivorous???  Even if they could
toss an Allosaurus around (which others state is improbable at best), it
would clearly not be because the sauropod found the allosaur tasty.  I'm
not sure what really happened to the fossil specimin that is in question,
but surely there is a better explanation than a sauropod "hammer throw".
Any ideas?

Rob

GEOLOGISTS ARE FUN TO BE WITH BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY GNIESS