Re: Brachiosaur Defense

["Jack Conrad" <conradjack@hotmail.com>]

Sauropods were not immune to predation due to size, though I will bet that 
size was one of their major assets.  Additionally, the herding behavior 
suggested by some footprints probably added to their defense.  There are 
animals today which use size and numbers as a combo to defend themselves.  
People like to draw parallels with elephants, and I feel this is valid, but 
elephants do have a formidable weapon in the form of a trunk and (except for 
in female _Elephas_) often possess tusks.  _Brachiosaurus_ (and titanosaurs) 
had even reduced the pollex claw and were left with no obvious lethal 
defensive device.

Perhaps another analogue would be a giraffe.  Here you have an animal 
virtually without obvious weaponry and a bite wouldn't be an effective 
defense as it would in hippos.  However, giraffes can kick quite fiercely.  
Now, giraffes do fall prey at times, but I expect sauropods (including 
_Brachiosaurus_) would also under some circumstances.   But so do "armed" 
modern giants like elephants, rhinos, and hippos.  Perhaps the size and 
potential herding behavior of _Brachiosaurus_ would have had theropods 
seeking easier game in many cases.

> From: ceevans@home.com
>
> I was wondering if someone could help me with this. I was wondering how
> a Brachiosaur(Brachiosaurus, Supersaurus, Ultrasaurus, etc.)could defend
> itself against a large predatory dinosaur(Allosaurus, Ceratosaurus,
> etc.) because I know that brachiosaurs didn't have the long, whip-lash
> tails that the diplodicids had. I doubt that a predator would stand
> still long enough to be crushed by the front feet, also.


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