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Archives of The Cold Blooded NewsThe Newsletter of the Colorado Herpetological SocietyVolume 29, Number 6; June, 2002 |
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Pituophis Taxonomy Thick-Tailed Gecko Carpet Python Could They or Couldn't They? Australian Velvet Geckos Next Issue July 2002 PREVIOUS ISSUES May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 January 2002 Earlier Issues About the Cold Blooded News CHS Home Page |
Could They or Couldn't They?Reprinted from "HerPET-POURRI" by Ellin Beltz, in the Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society, Vol.37, No.3, March 2002.English researchers have found a dinosaur trackway in an Oxfordshire quarry that shows therapod impressions slowly rambling along, then beginning to run. Their analysis suggests an 18-mph dash. "Our evidence shows unambiguous evidence of running in this... [1 to 2 metric ton, big meat-eating] animal," according to a Cambridge University paleontologist. The trackway is about 110 feet long and shows the three-toed, two-legged tracks known to be made by relatives of velociraptors and tyrannosaurs. Think "huge chickens" or great legs for a real life hut of Baba Yar. The usual consensus has been that only therapods less than one ton could run. [Chicago Tribune, January 31, 2002, from Ray Boldt] In contrast, sauropods produced the round track, four-footed, leg and each corner group. The speed for both groups is calculated by considering leg height to hip and track distance. There are some caveats in this technique. The Wyoming trackway photo on my website <http://ebeltz.net> shows both kinds of tracks. Copyright © 1998 - 2006, Colorado Herpetological Society. All rights reserved. | ||
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