Re: Plesiosaur question

[Danvarner@aol.com]

Aegyptiacus@aol.com asks:

<< Hello all
is there a good literature about plesiosaurs' girdles strength? Could they 
walk on land the way marine turtles do it to lay eggs or could it be possible 
they were ovoviviparous? >>

       Problem is that a marine turtle can reach forward with its front limbs 
and drag its body through the sand.The humerus makes a kind of right angle. 
In plesiosaurs the humerus is straight and the limbs are directed laterally and 
would have considerably less ability to reach forward. They were >not< snakes 
threaded through turtles. I suspect plesiosaurs remained in the water, 
although some mighty big bigshots disagree (Dave Martill, for one, I believe). 
DV