Re: supersaurus tail thingy

["Scott Hartman" <scott_hartman@hotmail.com>]

Occam's.  While pest control seems a probable use for tails in general 
during the Mesozoic, it's unlikely that diplodocid tails in particular were 
derived for this purpose.  Large mammals seem to do a perfectly fine job 
without whiplash endings.  Lengthening the tail might be viewed as 
increasing your "Raid-ability" factor, but reducing vertebral processes 
would probably hinder your attempts, since you would lose the fine control 
needed to flick at a particular flank covered with insects.

Scott
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