Run Tyrannosaurus run

[GSP1954@aol.com]

I will not give a detailed critique of Hutchinson's paper in Nature, although 
it appears to include serious flaws that can be easily discerned, and I did 
supply some hopefully pertinent comments for a Washington Post article on the 
subject that ran Thurs the 28th. I will point to some relevant papers that 
recently appeared on the issue of speed in giant dinosaurs. 

Moi 1998 (officially, 2000 actually) Limb design, function and running 
performance in ostrich-mimics and tyrannosaurs. Gaia 15 (the notorious 
theropod volume):257-270
If you need a copy let me know.

P Christiansen and yours truly 2001 Limb bone scaling, limb proportions, and 
bone stength in neoceratopsian dinosaurs. Gaia 16:3-29
For reprints contact P2Christiansen@zmuc.ku.dk 

Me and Christiansen 2000 Forelimb posture in neoceratopsian dinosaurs: 
implications for gait and locomotion. Paleobiology 26:450-465.
Out of reprints, Per might have some. 

On a related matter I've noted that some continue to state that bird femora 
work horizontally and theropod femora vertically. This is an exaggeration. 
When running the femora of birds have an extensive fore and aft arc, albeit 
probably with not quite as much posterior retraction as in theropods whose 
femora could probably retract to a little past vertical. See PDW as well as 
Gatesy's paper with a stick diagram of a running ostrich limb. 

Greg Paul