RE: Dwarf quadruped dinosaurs

["Sebastian Apesteguia" <ninjasarg@hotmail.com>]

Don't know, but probably not since there are large sauropods with body armor 
(supossed, not attached) and although small 'salts' have rather small 
scutes, there are in Patagonia isolated very large scutes probably carried 
by large titanos (take it easy, I'll not call them 'tits').
About scutes in titanos, see Salgado in Ameghiniana 40(3):441-456
Powell connected scutes with expanded illia, but I think expanded illia is 
nore related to the insertion of muscles equivalent to the psoas that 
allowed them to take a virtually biped position (not real biped, I mean the 
biped posture of xenarthrans, with the hands touching the ground). This let 
the manii free and the weight resting only in the hip.

Sebastian.



> Very interesting.  I wonder if there is a connection between small body 
> size (< 10m, including neck+tail) and the presence of body armor?
>
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