Re: Paralititan (mangrove swamps)

["Ken Kinman" <kinman@hotmail.com>]

Dan and the J.'s (Josh, Jeff & John),
    I was wondering the same thing---what tasty food might attract 
Paralititans to these mangrove areas.  By the way, I agree with Josh that 
these finds are definitely "bloody cool" (they have to be in order to get me 
interested in any particular non-theropods).  I think Paralititan might 
become my favorite non-theropod.
    I'm just trying to think of what kind of evidence one could look for to 
test two rather different hypotheses: (1) good stuff to eat regularly or 
permanently attracted the Paralititans (and they had ways to avoid getting 
trapped by predators in such a habitat);
or (2) perhaps Paralititans didn't like mangroves at all, and just 
occasionally got trapped there by theropod predators.  Not necessarily 
"stuck", but being in sand and mud might not be a very good place to be when 
confronting a predator (I like John's reference to the 100-meter "dash").
    Jeff's point about megafaunal highways into modern mangroves could 
provide some support for the second hypothesis.  Paralititans wandering into 
such restricted corridors and predators chasing them into the sand or mud 
for an easier kill.  I think that would be even more "bloody cool" than a 
Paralititan dies and gets scavenged.
     I think one needs to brainstorm for what kind of evidence might 
support or reject various scenarios, so that these particular kinds of 
evidence could be sought.  There may have been a lot more of these beasts in 
the inland forests, but their remains there (perhaps their primary habitat) 
just didn't get fossilized.  That is what I mean about it being a possible 
"fluke of preservation" that such fossils are primarily found in the 
mangrove areas, but that doesn't mean they spent much time there.
    I'm just not convinced Paralititans were actually attracted to 
mangroves, and may have even avoided them if they sensed it made them more 
vulnerable to predation.  And the theropods may have only gone there if some 
Paralititan (or other prey) didn't sense the potential danger.  My 
suggestion that theropods may have actually chased Paralititans into such 
situations (as a hunting "strategy") is perhaps wishful thinking, but who 
knows.  Just don't want to assume that they necessarily lived in the 
mangrove areas on a regular basis (unless there is convincing evidence that 
they did).
            ------Cool stuff,   Ken Kinman
*********************************************************
> From: Danvarner@aol.com
> Reply-To: Danvarner@aol.com
> To: dinosaur@usc.edu
> Subject: Re: Paralititan (mangrove swamps)
> Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2001 12:44:26 EDT
>
> In a message dated 6/5/01 9:29:56 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
> smithjb@sas.upenn.edu writes:
>
>
>  <<  However,
> regardless of how much time these beasts spent "inland" versus in the 
> Baharîya
> mangroves, I think it is extremely interesting that something was drawing 
> them
> there. >>
>
>        Still haven't seen the paper, but I have a question. What in the 
> way
> of clams and other mollusks are present here? I don't see much in the way 
> of
> the tripodal feeding posture going on in this type of environment. What's
> available for supper? DV
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