Re: supersaurus tail thingy

[Marilyn Wegweiser <mdwegweiser@bsuvc.bsu.edu>]

At 9:30 PM +0000 2/16/01, Scott Hartman wrote:
> > > On the same line, is it possible that the club-like tail feature 
> > > found in the Chinese Omeisaurus may also be a "popper"?  The 
> > > club-like feature a product of fossilization.<<<
>
>     An interesting question.  I would have to say probably not, 
> because the flexibility of the "whiplash" section of the diplodocid 
> tail is required to achieve supersonic speed.  The shorter tail of 
> omeiosaurus, combined with the fact that the caudal processes extend 
> further down the tail make it less likely that Omeisaurs could have 
> do  the same.  On the other hand, snapping a towel apparently can 
> break the sound barrier also, so without better modeling of the 
> tails of Chinese asaruopods, I can't rule it out.

Imagine this: You are a great big herbivore from the Mesozoic. Your 
eyes and other parts of your body, are occasionally bothered by 
biting, stinging, annoying Mesozoic invertebrate Insects.

You have a very long tail.

Now, as a paleoethologist who enjoys her work, I would encourage 
everyoneto go out and watch a National Geographic (or any other 
flavor) presentation that includes footage of lots of grazing, 
moving, standing herbivores - it will also invariably include footage 
of schitt (a geologic term) and flies. Gnats. Mosquitos. During the 
Mesozoic then we had: Great Big Mesozoic Sized Biting Annoying 
creatures, and no fly spray anywhere in sight! BUT! We are 
herbivores. We have a TAIL! A marvelous derived thing. Now. Observe 
the behavior of tails. Go then, and observe the behavior of tails on 
wild or feral and domestic herbivores (such as horses and cows). Head 
to tail - swatting flies. Standing alone or in groups - swatting 
flies.

You have a tail. What do you do with it. Make noise? Battle? Defense? 
To attract a mate? Sometimes, probably. What do you do with it *most* 
of the time? Do you maybe swat great big dinosaur sized Mesozoic 
flies/gnats/mosquitos off of your face and body, and out of your 
eyes. Or off the face, body, and eyes of your neighbor? It's just a 
speculation of mine. So therefore, I'm going with 
Akim's/Occam's/Okim's (spelling please?) Razor. ;^)

Toksa,
Marilyn
--
                        =00=  =00=  =00=  =00=
                        Marilyn D. Wegweiser, Ph.D.
                Adjunct Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology
                     Cincinnati Natural History Museum

Assistant Professor of Geology
Department of Geology                   mdwegweiser@bsu.edu
Ball State University                   Office: 765-285-8268;765-285-8270
Muncie, Indiana                         FAX:    765-285-8265