RE: Sauropod neck posture

["Tracy L. Ford" <dino.hunter@home.com>]

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of rbi
Sent: Monday, December 31, 2001 1:01 PM
To: dinosaur@usc.edu
Subject: Sauropod neck posture

<<I wanted to check and see if they were right. I used Gilmore's Apatosaurus
monograph and drew each individual cervical and lined it up with the next,
and
guess what, the front of the neck turns DOWN!!! So they are right. Just
because WE perceive something as being wrong, doesn't mean it was. We see a
long neck and automatically think the animal HAD to be eating from a high
tree, not so.>>

I should remind people that these postures are the "neutral" posture for the
skeletal elements of the neck.  Modern animals do not necessarily spend lots
of time with their necks in the neutral posture.  It would make an
interesting
study to see how animals like Giraffes and other long necked herbivores
spend
their time with their necks respective to neutral posture.

Regards,
Randall Irmis<<
True, BUT, it must be understood WHAT the "neutral" position is and go from
there. Which isn't the case being done; they incorrectly assume the
"neutral" position and go from there, which is incorrect. If you want to see
how animals like a Giraffe spend there time in a neutral position, go to a
Zoo. I doubt they'd elevate from the "neutral" position much.

Tracy L. Ford
P. O. Box 1171
Poway Ca  92074