Re: Refurbished Berlin Brachiosaurus Mount

[Mike Taylor <mike@indexdata.com>]

Jaime A. Headden writes:
 > Aside from the shoulder being 6m up, the head [of Brachiosaurus
 > brancai] is positionable at 9m IN ANY DIRECTION from the core of
 > the body, including parallel to the ground. This does not require
 > it to be vertical or even semi-vertical.

Of course.  I am not aware that _anyway_ has ever argued that
Brachiosaurus was incapable of lowerig its neck to a horizontal
position!  The question is whether it _all_ it could do, as Kent
asserts.

 > The same is true for giraffes, which do not hold their necks
 > vertically (at least passively as extensively illustrated and
 > characterized for the bulk of sauropods).

I've often seen this asserted, to the point where it now seems like
orthodoxy.  But whenver I see giraffes in a zoo, they are standing
with their necks near-vertical.

 _/|_    ___________________________________________________________________
/o ) \/  Mike Taylor    <mike@indexdata.com>    http://www.miketaylor.org.uk
)_v__/\  "If you're not sure what your options are, pop the ball in the
         net and we'll discuss it later" -- Bob Paisley.