Re: Stego plates!!!

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 96-01-30 01:36:32 EST, morgan@montereybay.com (Morgan
Family) writes:

>So they were probably secondarily employed as radiators, like an elephant's 
>ears, but I doubt that was their primary function.
>
>

Something as visually interesting but physiologically draining as stegosaur
plates must have been multifunctional to have stayed with the lineage for so
many millions of years. The huge, thin, alternating plates of stegosaurid
stegosaurs almost certainly developed those particular characteristics as
part of their thermoregulatory function. Before that, the plates probably
functioned protectively, and of course we must never forget the catchall
"display" function that they must have had.