Re: Swiming spinosaurus

["Demetrios M. Vital" <vita0015@umn.edu>]

On 10 Jul 2001, Jordan Mallon wrote:

> evidence of a gait differing from that of other typical theropods.  That
> said, they do support the idea that _Baryonyx_ (and other spinosaurids, I

> would guess) could hunker down low and catch aquatic prey.

If "hunker down" means walking on the entier metatarsus, then there's
trackway evidence for this.  If I recall correctly, HP Tracy Ford recently
mentioned on-list that tracks like this are found on what were tidal flats.

Unless knuckle walking was in fashion, maybe like a sloth, because of the
inability of their hands to face downwards.  I don't actually believe that
mode of walking to be the case, but that seems to be the only plausible
quadrupedal gait for theropods.  Furthermore, the front limbs are so short
compared to the hind limbs that the animal wouldn't be able to stalk fish
beyond shoulder-depth, in a quadrupedal stance.

Imaginatively, Demetrios Vital