Comments on: The Dilemma of the Dinosaur Stance: How Did They Hold Their Heads? http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/28/the-dilemma-of-the-dinosaur-stance-how-did-they-hold-their-heads/ Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:34:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Eliza Strickland http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/28/the-dilemma-of-the-dinosaur-stance-how-did-they-hold-their-heads/#comment-8903 Eliza Strickland Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:44:26 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/28/the-dilemma-of-the-dinosaur-stance-how-did-they-hold-their-heads/#comment-8903 Hi, Matt -- thanks for your clarifying comment. I was trying to say that turtles, etc. hold their necks more horizontally than the other animals studied, but I should have made it clear that their necks are still slightly inclined. Hi, Matt — thanks for your clarifying comment. I was trying to say that turtles, etc. hold their necks more horizontally than the other animals studied, but I should have made it clear that their necks are still slightly inclined.

]]> By: Jo http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/28/the-dilemma-of-the-dinosaur-stance-how-did-they-hold-their-heads/#comment-8902 Jo Fri, 29 May 2009 16:36:56 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/28/the-dilemma-of-the-dinosaur-stance-how-did-they-hold-their-heads/#comment-8902 If they weren't feeding from tall trees, then what would have been the purpose of the long neck? Speaking from ignorance here -- I know squat about dinosaurs ... other than that you should stop moving when the T-rex spots you. ;) If they weren’t feeding from tall trees, then what would have been the purpose of the long neck? Speaking from ignorance here — I know squat about dinosaurs … other than that you should stop moving when the T-rex spots you. ;)

]]> By: Matt Wedel http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/28/the-dilemma-of-the-dinosaur-stance-how-did-they-hold-their-heads/#comment-8901 Matt Wedel Thu, 28 May 2009 21:30:25 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/05/28/the-dilemma-of-the-dinosaur-stance-how-did-they-hold-their-heads/#comment-8901 <i>Taylor’s group found that only animals closely related to salamanders, turtles, lizards, and crocodiles carry their necks in a horizontal posture.</i> Actually we found that even living reptiles and amphibians carry their necks elevated above horizontal. This posture is normal for all living terrestrial vertebrates, and we infer that it is primitive for crown-group tetrapods. Birds and mammals carry it to an extreme with neck postures that often approach or exceed vertical ('exceed' in the sense that the middle of the neck sometimes leans backward, as in flamingos). This may be important, because birds and mammals have erect limbs (as opposed to sprawling animals like lizards), and so did sauropods and other non-avian dinosaurs. For the curious, we have a lot of supplementary information available at <a href="http://svpow.wordpress.com/papers-by-sv-powsketeers/taylor-et-al-2009-on-neck-posture/" rel="nofollow">our blog</a>. Thanks for your interest! Taylor’s group found that only animals closely related to salamanders, turtles, lizards, and crocodiles carry their necks in a horizontal posture.

Actually we found that even living reptiles and amphibians carry their necks elevated above horizontal. This posture is normal for all living terrestrial vertebrates, and we infer that it is primitive for crown-group tetrapods. Birds and mammals carry it to an extreme with neck postures that often approach or exceed vertical (‘exceed’ in the sense that the middle of the neck sometimes leans backward, as in flamingos). This may be important, because birds and mammals have erect limbs (as opposed to sprawling animals like lizards), and so did sauropods and other non-avian dinosaurs.

For the curious, we have a lot of supplementary information available at our blog. Thanks for your interest!

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