Re: Velociraptor profiles

[John Conway <john_conway@mac.com>]

Sorry to post on the some subject twice in a day, but I can't let it 
stand as it is, I owe this much to old Velociraptor.

On Friday, March 22, 2002, at 05:58  PM, Jerzy Dyczkowski wrote:

> There are several ways to check if Velociraptor was fighting with live 
> one
> or grasping the dead Protoceratops. Unfortunately, all require access to
> primary fossil.

Or more argument.

If the rainstorm theory is correct then the "holding on for dear life" 
scavenging theory is invalidated: why would it be hanging on like this 
if it wasn't expecting anything.

Or if the sandstorm theory is right; then, what sort of animal, when 
faced with a sandstorm, grabs on to a carcass not much bigger than 
itself and hangs on until it is buried alive? Surely the Velociraptor 
would have let go, as it would be better to be blown away than be buried 
in sand.

Why didn't the Velociraptor make any attempt to shield it's 
eyes/nose/mouth from the sand? It would have been able to position 
itself if the Protoceratops was dead already. The way it is positioned 
it's head is very exposed. Why didn't it tuck its head close to the 
Protoceratops?

I think that best explanation is that it was struggling to get free.

I have tracked down some better photos on the web that give a much 
better view of the arm/beak situation.

http://www.dino-nakasato.org/en/special97/Fight-e.html

It looks like the elbow, not the wrist, is in the beak. Still, it looks 
like a bite to me.

PS. It looks as if the top of Proto's head was the bit exposed, oh well.