Re: Rex cornering overview (from T. rex mechanix)

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <th81@umail.umd.edu>]

At 08:45 PM 4/24/98 -0700, you wrote:

>I have an alternative: an *ambush* hunter does not need maneuverability so
>much as speed and *acceleration*
>
>The basis of this strategy is hitting the prey before it can really get
>moving.

Felids (THE classic ambush hunters in predator ecology literature) very much
DO need maneuverability: watch the footage of their technique.  In part, as
they tend to strike prior to the prey getting up to full speed, they need to
maneuver as the prey dashes back and forth.

Note that cheetahs are a "best of both worlds" sort of predator, combining
ancestral ambush characteristics with derived pursuit characteristics.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Vertebrate Paleontologist     Webpage: http://www.geol.umd.edu
Dept. of Geology              Email:th81@umail.umd.edu
University of Maryland        Phone:301-405-4084
College Park, MD  20742       Fax:  301-314-9661