Re: Hadrosaur defense.

["Michael" <tons@ccs.netside.com>]

Sorry the first message went to the spam trap. 
> > Michael wrote:
> > > Seriously, put a broom between your legs with your right foot
> > > forward and slightly bent at the knee with your left leg extended
> > > behind you.  Now turn your hips 90 degrees counterclockwise so the
> > > left foot is forward and the right extended behind you.  Check out
> > > the end of the broom handle and imagine it weighs 500 to 1000 lbs.
> > > Even if it weighs less, it is going to have some energy.  Still, just
> > > imagining and wondering.
> > 
> >    Knowing that much of this motion in humans envolves the use of the
> > gluteus maximus muscle, and believing that dinosaurs don't have a
> > gluteous maximus (or minimus for that matter), could what bipedal
> > dinosaurs DID have near the hips and butt do this motion?  (The twist?)
> >    Or would all twists be done at the knees and ankles?  Is that maybe
> > why bipedal dinosaurs didn't develop a patella?  So they could twist at
> > the leg joints better?
> > -- 
> >            Betty Cunningham  
> > the reply-to in this e-mail is a spam trap
> > remove the dash in flyinggoat in e-mail replies
> > 
> Actually, the muscle used is the quadriceps.   All you do is push and 
> rotate, so in effect you are extending the bent leg. A tetrapod could 
> do the same thing although the mechanics would likely be different.  
> As far as the tail acting like a sail and being slowed down be air 
> resistance, I doubt that it would be appreciable except near the end 
> of the tail.  And it would have the benefit of a great deal of 
> inertia from the rest of the tail.  I doubt even a large predator 
> would want to be hit in the legs by the tail if I'm anywhere near 
> being correct.  A large therapod would be easier to hit and more 
> vunerable to a fall as well.  
> 
> Having said all that, I would imagine it to be a last line of 
> defense and I'm certain T rex would have won its share of any battle 
> with a lone hadrosaur, especially if there was more that one T rex.
> 
> And I'm still speculating so don't take it all too serious guys.
> 
> As always, this is only an opinion, subject to
> retraction and recall without notice, and with 
> due respect to others opinions.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Michael Teuton MD
> 
> 

As always, this is only an opinion, subject to
retraction and recall without notice, and with 
due respect to others opinions.

Thanks,

Michael Teuton MD