Re: The absurdity, the absurdity (was: Cooperating theropods?)

["Larry Dunn" <larrydunn@hotmail.com>]

Chris Campbell wrote: (replying to Betty Cunningham>

>Naturally.  That's beside the point.  I'm talking about brains and
>coordination between predators, nothing more.  If we're going to charge
>Deinonychus with being too stupid to function in packs, animals with
>less brain material who do so are a good counter-example.

Sharks are of coure not pack hunters, so their lack of any intelligence 
is not dispositive here.

>> With sharks, they bite something till they're fed, the thing may or 
may
>> not die by the time the shark begins digesting.  And this tactic is 
the
>> same whether it is one shark by itself or many sharks.
>
>True, but not what I'm talking about.

Why, sure it is.  Is the behavior Betty described the behavior of a 
*pack hunter*?

>> With lions and hyenas and dogs it's much more a testing measure of
>> whether this hunting group is ready to confront that prey group or
>> individual prey animal.  The animals seem to need reassurance they 
have
>> good chances of winning a confontation before they confront.
>
>Right, but also beside the point.

Why's that?  You think a shark is worried about attacking a mackeral?  I 
doubt it.  But why *doesn't* something even as stupid as a shark attack 
a whale?  Why don't a "pack" of sharks?

>And why, exactly, could Deinonychus not employ simple strategies
>instinctively? 

Depends on how willing you are to define away  complexities.

Larry

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