Re: My Gr. 9 Science Fair Project: Questions

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

From: stevet@shelby.net (Stephen Throop)

 > Well, some say it's a big jump from dinosaurs to mammals, but okay.  Am
 > I right that modern African herd animals are in no danger of extinction
 > from the croc scourge?

No.

 >  Do relatively few meet their fate in the jaws of a croc?

No. Crocs eat a fairly large number of them (perhaps not as many as lions
and hyenas eat, but still alot).

 > Wouldn't parsimony suggest the same relationship between hadrosaurs and
 > crocs?

Yep: that is crocs ate lots of hadrosaurs, and they survived by producing
lots of offspring.

 > >... Rarely, if ever, will the enter water to escape
 > >predators because predators can follow them into the water and because they
 > >risk the chance of being eatern by crocodiles. 
 > 
 > Great!  We're back to Della's question from two weeks ago!

Yep - and we get the *same* *answer* again.  Edmostosaura would have
been foolish to run into the water to escape a T. rex because:
        a) it wouldn't work anyway
and
        b) they would run a significant chance of being eaten by a croc.


Swimming speed is not that important in avoiding crocs, since crocs are
ambush hunters.

swf@elsegundoca.ncr.com         sarima@ix.netcom.com

The peace of God be with you.

[ Ok, now that we've gone full circle, can we stop rather than doing
  another lap? -- MR ]