Re: new boook on functional morphology

[ornstn@inforamp.net (Ronald Orenstein)]

>Recently discovered ceratopsian trackways have definatively countered
>Johnson & Ostrom's reconstruction of a sprawling gait. The trackways
>are consistant with either an erect gait or a bow-legged gait (if
>the manus was held twisted outward), but NOT with a sprawling gait.

I wonder if we can distinguish between gait and posture?  Without having
read what Ostrom etc propose, could we not consider it possible that for
some purposes (possibly including head-to-head shoving matches) ceratos
might have adopted a sprawling posture that was not used during normal
walking?  (After all, sumo wrestlers don't walk around in a sprawling
posture either, and the posture giraffes use while drinking is quite unlike
that used when in motion).

So if all Ostrom did was to show that the pectoral girdle was consistent
with a sprawled posture (say), then one could speculate that such a posture
was used - but NOT while the animals were busy laying down trackways.

Does this make any sense?
--
Ronald I. Orenstein                           Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home)
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