Re: [BARYONYX] & Bipedalism

[chris brochu <cbrochu@fmppr.fmnh.org>]

>>>  When looking over the history
>>>of crocodiles, their current exclusive restriction to water is misleading.
>>>In the past crocs have had a ball of a time on the land, on more than one
>>>occassion, and don't forget that one of my little buggers may even have
>>>been climbing trees. >
>>
>>That's handy.  Are they closely related to the somewhat bipedalist crocs?
>
>
>Bipedalist crocs? Am I that out of touch with the literature?


I'm not aware of any habitually bipedal crown-group crocodylians, though
hatchling Alligator have apparently been seen to run off bipedally like a
collared lizard for very short distances.

However, the initial point may have referred to some sort of basal
pseudosuchian, most of which were called "crocodilians" at one time or
another.  Some of these (e.g. ornithosuchids, poposaurids) may have been
bipedal to some degree.  But no proper crocodyliform (that we know of) was
bipedal.


chris

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Christopher Brochu, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Research Scientist
Department of Geology
Field Museum of Natural History
Lake Shore Drive at Roosevelt Road
Chicago, IL  60605  USA

phone:  312-922-9410, ext. 469
fax:  312-922-9566

cbrochu@fmppr.fmnh.org