Re: Bird /dino questions -Reply

["Matthew Troutman" <m_troutman@hotmail.com>]

>It's been my understanding that the forward shift in the center of 
gravity
>in birds due to the loss of the mass of the tail was(is) compensated 
for
>by a shift in the orientation of the leg bones.  The femur of a resting
>(standing) bird is close to horizontal, bringing the knee closer to the
>center of gravity.   The movement at the hip joint is reduced in favor 
of
>more movement around the knee and more distal joints of the leg and
>ankle, compared to a theropod, which would use the tail as a
>counterbalance and would retain a greater range of motion around the
>hip.

   That's a good point. Advanced knee flexion may be related to the 
shift in the center of gravity. 
>Is this a correct interpretation?

    I think when the two interpretations are combined they can be a 
reasonable hypothesis.

>JM Norton


Regards,

MattTroutman

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