Re: falling Tyrannosaurs (was Re: Turbinates and welcome Mark Sumner)

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

> > and discribes the falling impacts with
> > some detail. I have to question this because any animal, knowing it's about
> > to plow a ditch with it's face, would try to turn a shoulder or something
> > to avert just such injury. 
>       Seriously though, most predators are designed for shocks and 
> falls, as in PDW, Paul says that cheetahs fall and shake off the impact. 

     Exactly how does a tyrannosaur "turn on a shoulder"?  Besides, it 
wouldn't make it any lighter.  Most predators don't weigh five or six 
tonnes.  Dropping a large elephant from six feet or so feet in the air 
would probably not do wonders for its health, particularly if you toss in 
about fifteen to twenty mph of forward momentum.
     The refernce for the article is:

     "Body mass, bone 'strength indicator', and cursorial potential of 
     _Tyrannosaurus_ _rex_"
     James O. Farlow, Matt B. SMith, and John M. Robinson
     Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
     15(4), December 1995

LN Jeff