Re: Diplodocid duck-and-cover (and ankylosaurs)

["Andy Farke" <andyfarke@hotmail.com>]

The thought of the animal "reversing itself" brings to mind a *totally 
speculative* possibility. The picture that was posted makes me think of the 
tail being used as a decoy for the head--or at least drawing attention away 
from it. This is somewhat similar to those snakes (I can't remember the 
species) that have coloration on their "tail" that resembles the head. Could 
a similar thing be going on in ankylosaurs? What better way to distract 
attention from what looks like a tasty, bite-sized head and neck than with 
an equally interesting tail?

Again, this is totally speculation!

Andy Farke


From:  Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>
To:  dinosaur@usc.edu
Subject:  Diplodocid duck-and-cover
Date:  Mon, 31 Jul 2000 06:52:43 +1000

> If anyone's interested (a big "if"), I've roughed out a quick sketch of
> Diplodocus in tail-lash mode, looking at the world as us Australian's do
> (from down under, that is).
> http://dannsdinosaurs.terrashare.com/diplodoc.gif

> In effect the animal has reversed itself. With many dinosaurs
> (especially theropods) the tail is simply a rather undynamic counter
> balance for the business end of the body (usually the neck and head). If
> Diplodocids adopted this defensive pose, then the neck would be acting
> as counter weight, and the "business end" would be the lashing tail.

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