DINOSAUR ANALOGS: It is time to
decide which modern animal to use as a locomotor analog for Dilophosaurus and the
other bipedal dinosaurs in which we are interested.
The first thing to do is to determine whether dilophosaurs were erect or sprawling using
the data in the table on page 8. Your decision can be applied to other bipedal dinosaurs,
such as Tyrannosaurus, because, carnivorous dinosaurs are all alike in the basic
features of skeletal anatomy and posture, as the Museum field trip demonstrated so clearly.
The last thing to do is to select a modern analog for our dinosaurs. What we want, as
noted above, is an animal that as closely as possible mirrors bipedal dinosaurs with regard
to: 1) number of legs use for locomotion; 2) basic leg structure; and 3) posture.
Practicality is a fourth criterion. You want to select an animal that is cooperative
and that can be readily handled because you will need to do the speed trials on this animal
that are necessary to complete the last part of the research. And you need, as a subject
for your speed trial tests, an animal that can be obtained easily and without much expense.
So make sure you think the problem of identifying a test subject for speed trial tests
through carefully.
LAB #6; ASSIGNMENT #3: Answer the following questions:
1. What is the posture index of the iguana and human?
2. What is the posture index of the hallway dilophosaur?
3. What kind of posture does a dilophosaur have? Why?
4. What modern animal do you select to use as a test subject for speed trials? What are
your reasons for preferring to use this animal?
Your responses to these questions must be emailed to me by Monday, May 7, 4 PM.
