RE: How Did Hadrosaurs Survive? (Was: Hadrosaur "mummy" questions )

["Williams, Tim" <TiJaWi@agron.iastate.edu>]

Tim Donovan wrote:

>  I don't think so; it seems far more likely that hadrosaurs fled, and 
> fought only as a last resort. 

That's bad news for hadrosaur babies sitting in the nest: "Sorry kids,
you're on your own.  Gotta run!"

> If hadrosaurs had regularly attempted to stand their ground, weapons 
> and or armor would have been selected for. Instead they evolved keen 
> senses and longer legs, and "hooves".

I would hypothesize that large body size is a defense against predators.
Don't forget that the adult body size of certain hadrosaurs (c. 15-16m)
overlaps with certain contemporary adult titanosaurs.  That's pretty darn
big, and what tyrannosaur would be foolish enough to tackle a herbivore at
least as big at itself.  It only takes a broken ankle to disable a
tyrannosaur and severely reduce its chances of success at its next attempt
at predation.  _Tyrannosaurus rex_ is an impressive predator, but it
certainly wasn't invincible.



Tim