Re: rearing up (long)

[B.Dol@skn.sc.philips.com]

> Date:          Wed, 05 May 1999 08:12:19 -0700
> Reply-to:      clayke@pacbell.net
> From:          "k. clay" <clayke@pacbell.net>
> To:            dinosaur@usc.edu
> Subject:       rearing up (long)

First of all, I'm by no means a dinosaur-expert nor a expert on any 
biological/evolutionairy subject. I'm just a person who's interested 
in evolution and dinosaurs and I hope I don't offend people on this 
site because I wanted to add my own opinion (without evidence or real 
profound study).
Here I go. 

> 4.  Lastly, if sauropods weren't eating the trees, who was?
> Sorry for the long note.--Ken Clay, M.D.
>
I agree. Totally. 
I think that sauropods could rear up. They 'ate' the trees. What 
other function could their long necks have then to reach up? (except 
maybe for butting/strangling  in mating/territorial-disputes etc). 
I don't see why a long (and longer neck) would be usefull to eat 
vegetation on the ground. They propably also did, but they could also 
walk to the next bush to eat it's leaves. I don't think that 
evolution would give the sauropods longer necks just to reach the 
next bush earlier than the neighbour in the herd. Horses have a neck 
and eat lower vegatation but when necks get longer (girafs) they tend 
to feed higher too. 
So I think the discussion should be:
How did they do it? What adaptation's?
In stead of:
Did they or didn't they?
Imagine if you had a long neck? Would you reach further for the next 
patch of grass/bush or try to reach into the canopy? You would at 
least try...
I would be thankfull for any reply correcting my 'self-imagined' 
views of dinosaurs. I don't want to pretend I have all the answers, 
as I know I sure don't, but just try to contribute to the discussion.

J. A. Dol