RE Death Poses (Sauropods)

[MarkSabercat@aol.com]

In regard to the issue over nuchal ligaments in sauropods (as well as other 
dinosaurs) that Mickey Rowe raised, we should also consider the possibility, 
and in my opinion the likelihood, that sauropods with bifurcate neural spines 
(diplodocids, camarasaurids) probably supported a double nuchal ligament. 
This arrangement would better serve to resist and control sideways torque 
than one big ligament running down between the spines, especially if the neck 
were directed almost vertically in a bipedal or tripodal feeding pose, which 
what I think these taxa were doing when they were stripping cinifer foliage. 
We see this analog in many construction equipment derricks designed to lift 
heavy loads, although in this case the purpose was to maintain vertical 
stability in a living derrick that also had to dorsiflect, ventriflect and 
sometimes pronate its distal end--quite a feat of bioengineering. This fits I 
think rather well into the findings of K. Stevens and M. Parrish, whose 
computerized articulations of Apatosaurus and other diplodocids pointed to 
movement along a predominantly sagittal plane.