Re: Immobilising the pointy end of prey (was utility of ....)

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

Seth Ellestad wrote:
> 
> 
> What the lioness did, all in one long, impressive move, was run at the
> wildebeest, which charged it, the lioness parried this, avoiding the horns,
> by clamping onto its head with her teeth and twisting its head out of the
> way... <SNIP>

This is a common hunting method among canines as well. One member of
the pack may clamp its jaws onto the prey's nose to immobilise it
leaving the others free to attack without fear of horn nor antler.
If a ceratopsian was alone then one Tyrannosaur MAY have tried to
disarm it by clamping onto the frill to prevent the pointy bits
from being used to full effect, while another Tyrannosaur finished it
off. However most ceratposian frills seem to have been edged with 
spikes or hornlets (Styracosaurus taking it to the extreme). Perhaps
the frill armourment was an adaptive result of just such a technique
(after all, porcupines are occasionally preyed upon).
    Of course given the choice I wouldn't have had anything at all to
do with the pointy end of a ceratopsian, but then again I've got this
wonderfully complex primate brain.  :)
-- 
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        Dann Pigdon
        Melbourne, Australia

        Dinosaur Reconstructions:
        http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/4459/
        Australian Dinosaurs:
        http://www.alphalink.com.au/~dannj
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