Re: SCRAPPING TYRANNOSAURS..

[Jeffrey Martz <martz@holly.ColoState.EDU>]

> I have often wondered if  a leaping, two-legged kick might not also have
> been the standard attack method of Velociraptor and its kin (especially as
> it has a big advantage over cassowaries in that it can grab the kickee
> first), rather than the balancing-on-one-leg kick usually described - after
> all, why not use two weapons at once if you have them?

     Kangaroos fight this way.  They grab each other with thier hands, 
balance on thier tails, and kick with both feet.  It seems like doing 
this without a nice big tail for backup would be risking a fall on yur 
ass.  Were theropod or bipedal ornithischian tails structurally strong 
enough to do the job?  Of course, is a dromeosaur was using a two-foot 
attack on prey, they could hang on to big animals to keep from falling, 
or if attacking a small animal might deliberately TRY to pull it to the 
ground.    

LN Jeff