lycanox
Dec 10th, 2006, 11:15 AM
Looks like Chomper knows some neat tricks.
Just imagine. Raptors jumping out of trees on their prey.
So far for an peaceful walk in the forest, back then
Claws were for climbing, not killing
By Richard Gray, Science Correspondent, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 1:14am GMT 10/12/2006
In the Jurassic Park films, the velociraptor was a terrifying hunter that slashed open its victims with a giant, razor-sharp claw. The latest research has shown, however, that the dinosaur's formidable claw was, in fact, a prehistoric climbing crampon, which could also have represented a significant stage in the evolution of flight.
In an attempt to test theories that the animals disembowelled their prey, palaeontologists at the Natural History Museum in London and at Manchester University conducted simulations of a raptor attack using a replica claw on the end of a robotic arm and computer models.
Their findings have forced a complete revision of beliefs about how the pack-hunting carnivores attacked. They now think the hunters clambered up the flanks of large herbivores before clamping their jaws around their victims' throats.
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The researchers also claim smaller relatives of the dromaeosaurid family, which includes the velociraptor, may have used their claws to climb trees and leap down on to their prey.
A second paper to be published next year by the scientists will suggest that this was the first step towards the evolution of flight.
"The claw is a climbing tool," said Paul Barrett, a palaeontologist at the Natural History Museum. "The claw doesn't have a sharp edge that allows it to slash. It is strongly curved, so when you try to puncture something with the claw it rotates into the animal, but not to any depth.
"It gives a strong clinging action, which is where the idea that they can be used to climb up the side of prey came from."
In Jurassic Park, Sam Neill terrifies a child with a description of how the velociraptor disembowelled its prey before devouring it.
The theory was based on early fossils that suggested the dinosaurs could leap up and slash downwards with their enlarged claw.
When the researchers tried to slash a pork belly with their robotic claw, however, they found it could not cut into the flesh. Instead they found the highly curved claw was better at piercing and hooking into flesh.
In another test, on crocodile flesh, the tip of the claw broke off on the armoured skin. Later computer simulations of the dinosaur's hind leg motion found it was better suited to climbing.
Phil Manning, from Manchester University, said: "That these dinosaurs were climbers is extremely important in terms of flight."
Mr Barrett added: "Some of the smaller relatives might have climbed trees, before jumping or gliding down. These animals are quite close to the origins of birds and may be linked to the origin of bird flight."
Source ( The Sunday Telegraph.) (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/12/10/nvelo10.xml)
Just imagine. Raptors jumping out of trees on their prey.
So far for an peaceful walk in the forest, back then
Claws were for climbing, not killing
By Richard Gray, Science Correspondent, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 1:14am GMT 10/12/2006
In the Jurassic Park films, the velociraptor was a terrifying hunter that slashed open its victims with a giant, razor-sharp claw. The latest research has shown, however, that the dinosaur's formidable claw was, in fact, a prehistoric climbing crampon, which could also have represented a significant stage in the evolution of flight.
In an attempt to test theories that the animals disembowelled their prey, palaeontologists at the Natural History Museum in London and at Manchester University conducted simulations of a raptor attack using a replica claw on the end of a robotic arm and computer models.
Their findings have forced a complete revision of beliefs about how the pack-hunting carnivores attacked. They now think the hunters clambered up the flanks of large herbivores before clamping their jaws around their victims' throats.
advertisement
The researchers also claim smaller relatives of the dromaeosaurid family, which includes the velociraptor, may have used their claws to climb trees and leap down on to their prey.
A second paper to be published next year by the scientists will suggest that this was the first step towards the evolution of flight.
"The claw is a climbing tool," said Paul Barrett, a palaeontologist at the Natural History Museum. "The claw doesn't have a sharp edge that allows it to slash. It is strongly curved, so when you try to puncture something with the claw it rotates into the animal, but not to any depth.
"It gives a strong clinging action, which is where the idea that they can be used to climb up the side of prey came from."
In Jurassic Park, Sam Neill terrifies a child with a description of how the velociraptor disembowelled its prey before devouring it.
The theory was based on early fossils that suggested the dinosaurs could leap up and slash downwards with their enlarged claw.
When the researchers tried to slash a pork belly with their robotic claw, however, they found it could not cut into the flesh. Instead they found the highly curved claw was better at piercing and hooking into flesh.
In another test, on crocodile flesh, the tip of the claw broke off on the armoured skin. Later computer simulations of the dinosaur's hind leg motion found it was better suited to climbing.
Phil Manning, from Manchester University, said: "That these dinosaurs were climbers is extremely important in terms of flight."
Mr Barrett added: "Some of the smaller relatives might have climbed trees, before jumping or gliding down. These animals are quite close to the origins of birds and may be linked to the origin of bird flight."
Source ( The Sunday Telegraph.) (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/12/10/nvelo10.xml)