Re: sauropod feeding

[Stan Friesen <swf@ElSegundoCA.ATTGIS.COM>]

From: "Bonnie Blackwell, x 3332" <bonn@qcvaxa.acc.qc.edu>
 > 
 > I can't resist a comment here.
 > 1. The different tooth spacings in the Diplodocids vs. Camarasaurids
 > might indicate different branches or "leaves" being stripped fromm
 > different tree species.

Very possibly, or else different parts of the branches of the same trees,
or some other difference in manner of removal.

 > 3.  Some one commented that conifer needles do not contain enough
 > water to support diplodocids, but what about other plants?  Conifers
 > were not the only trees - don't forget the cycads, cycadoids, gingkoes,
 > etc.  Some of those look like they have pretty lush leaves (fronds??)
 > and may contain lots of water in their cells. 

I seriously doubt sauropods could eat cycads.

Those cycads I am familiar with all have large, prickly, rigid leaves.
Not the sort of thing the teeth of a sauropod could easily deal with,
even if used only to pluck the leaves.

I suspect that cycadeoids may have been similar.

The largest tree ferns and seed ferns were no longer present in
Morrison times.

This leaves the gingkoes, which are a distinct possibility, and were
at least regionally common at the time.

swf@elsegundoca.attgis.com              sarima@netcom.com

The peace of God be with you.