Re: Death poses

[Mickey Rowe <rowe@psych.ucsb.edu>]

[ The following was held back by a technical glitch -- MPR ]

------- Start of forwarded message -------
From: Mike Taylor <mike@miketaylor.org.uk>
To: mbonnan@hotmail.com
CC: dinosaur@usc.edu
In-reply-to: <F165WNiBa3mr5vEUsCH00010994@hotmail.com> (mbonnan@hotmail.com)
Subject: Re: Death poses
References:  <F165WNiBa3mr5vEUsCH00010994@hotmail.com>

> Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2002 15:34:37 +0000
> From: "Matthew Bonnan" <mbonnan@hotmail.com>
> 
> The necks-kinked-back pose is due to "de-watering" of the nuchal
> ligament and muscles of the neck.

Oh, are nuchal ligaments a done deal in dinosaurs now?  The last I
knew, they were just a vague hypothesis about how some sauropods might
have supported those long beam-like necks.  Has someone conveniently
found some soft tissue that I don't know about?

I've heard it suggested that the bifurcation in the neural spines of
diplodocids may have been for the purpose of forming a "trench" in
which a possible nuchal ligament could lie, but of of course that
doesn't work for taxa, such as the brachiosaurs, with non-bifurcated
spines.  Or does it?  I don't recall antelopes etc. having bifes, so
where do they keep their NLs?  Above the spines?

 _/|_    _______________________________________________________________
/o ) \/  Mike Taylor   <mike@miketaylor.org.uk>   www.miketaylor.org.uk
)_v__/\  "A TRUE Klingon Warrior does not comment his code!" --
         Klingon Programming Mantra
------- End of forwarded message -------