Re: Cooperating theropods?

["Jaime Headden" <jaemei@hotmail.com>]

Larry Dunn replied to me *Tenontosaur/Deinonychus* bit with:

<I assume that the predation hypothesis suggests a struggle to kill the 
Tenontosaur, with several Deinonychus dying in the process.  

Isn't the patent absurdity of this obvious?>

Yes.

<How often to pack-hunting vertebrates attack a prey animal and lose 
*three* of their number in the process?  They may lose one but that 
would be a fluke. In the *highly* unlikely event that they accidentally 
attack an animal that is too tough for them (hunting vertebrates tend to 
very carefully choose their prey), they'd certainly back away and cut 
their losses. The object of the game is to survive, not just to kill. 
Pack hunters just do not attack an animal that will kill multiple pack 
members. 

The only other rational explanation I can see is that there was a fight 
at the found carcass (theropods certainly seem to have been rough with 
each other) leading to the deaths of certain animals.>

Actually, this idea makes a whole lot more sense to me than to the 
predation one. Very salient point on an old argument.

Jaime A. Headden
Qilongia

______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com