Re: Flight again (was Re: The Lizard of Oz)

["James R. Cunningham" <jrccea@bellsouth.net>]

David Marjanovic wrote:

> I wanted to say that a sizable tail in bipedal dinosaurs brings the center
> of gravity into the plane between the hip joints, whereas in pygostylians it
> is farther in front.

I don't argue that (though I haven't actually attempted to calculate where it
does put the cg).

> This stabilizes them in flight and makes gliding phases
> possible,

I don't follow your reasoning.  I don't say you're wrong -- I just don't have a
clue what you are trying to say.  Please elaborate.

> but for bipedal standing and landing without toppling over a
> measurable tail should be better, no?  I don't know.  I do fairly well without
> one, but I might do better if mine were measurable.  Personally, I don't think
> the long tail is necessary for bipedalism.
>
> Does this mean that the fuzz makes the ball _faster_?

No, it means that you can hit the ball higher and still bring it into the court
-- which means that you can hit it harder, thereby making it faster.  Without
the fuzz, you have to take a great deal of speed off the ball, because if you
hit it hard (make it fast), then it will go long. (net geometry).

Jim