RE: PACK HUNTING THEROPODS

[augwhite@neosoft.com (Toby White)]

Larry said:

>Well, I do remember you making these arguments, but now you're just 
>restating them.  This is pure fantasy -- you offer NO evidence as to how 
>animals operating "instinctively" can mimic decision-making of the level 
>required for pack hunting.  If a complex set of instinctive behaviors 
>can parallel this, what then is the distinction between a level of 
>decision-making ability and totally instinctual behavior?  You don't 
>think there is one?  Haven't you then blurred real differences in 
>intellectual capacity because they're inconvenient to your position?

Dunno about evidence, but if its a priori arguments you want, they exist by
the cartload.  Easy to set up a behavioral program that would generate a
viable pack hunting strategy against another opponent with a limited
behavioral repetoire.  For example, use the following set of simple rules:

Stay to the side of the target.  Rear quarter is better

Maintain allignment with the friend in front of you

Same for the ones to the sides

Don't get between two large objects if at least one is moving

Slash if there's an opening

If not attacking, distance to target proportional to size and current speed
of target 

In roughly that order priority.  Allow for random departures and resolution
of conflicts, and you'll likely come up with a reasonably viable strategy.
That is, the joules of food energy obtained will exceed the joules required
to hunt plus the occaisional loss of pack members.  Perhaps this is
pointless in view of the lack of evidence, but it would be an interesting
exercise for someone with a lot of spare computer time.  Nathan?

  --Toby White