Re: gigantism as liability

[David Marjanovic <david.marjanovic@gmx.at>]

> Some cycads look climbable by pretty much anything in the right size
> range; conifers with branches down to ground level (still plenty of
> those) are climbable by pretty much anything in the right size range,
> they're botanical stairs.

If they're really that much like stairs, a baby sauropod could walk up. It 
would have great trouble holding itself up there, however.

> > I don't think so, but to whack someone, you don't need these extras...
>
> No, you don't, but if we had an growth series that showed the
> specialized tail parts developing before sexual maturity that would be a
> good clue that these were primarily defensive, rather than primarily for
> mate competition.

This, of course, is a good point.