Anyone have print coverage of Brontomerus?
February 24, 2011
Matt or I will probably post properly later today, but I just wanted to post a quick note to ask whether anyone has any printed (as opposed to online) newspaper copy on Brontomerus? Although TV, radio and online coverage has been pretty good, I had the impression that it hardly made a dent in print at all, and in fact the only article I’ve seen is this tiny one in the Evening Standard (London’s free evening newspaper):
If anyone has printed copy other than this, I’d really appreciate it if they could send it to me. (If it even exists.) If that’s you, please leave a comment and post your clipping to:
Mike Taylor
Oakleigh Farm House
Crooked End
Ruardean
Gloucestershire GL17 9XF
ENGLAND
Thanks!
Sauropod Vertebra Picture of the Week 
February 24, 2011 at 5:55 pm
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Chris Rowan, JP – Research Lab. JP – Research Lab said: Anyone have print coverage of Brontomerus?: Matt or I will probably post properly later today, but I just wanted… http://bit.ly/eFqNQy […]
February 25, 2011 at 2:44 am
So that line about intraspecific fighting… PYP;WWDTALLTW?
February 25, 2011 at 3:14 am
There was an even briefer note of 65 words with no picture in the New Zealand Herald on Thursday 24th of February.
I will post it to you.
LeeB.
February 25, 2011 at 8:54 am
Thanks, Lee — it may be short, but it’s still interesting for me to see.
Brad, I am afraid that we won’t have much that’s substantial to add on the subject of intraspecific fighting. It just seemed like a more likely origin of the thunderthighs than predator defence.
February 25, 2011 at 4:06 pm
How about. . .locomotion?
February 25, 2011 at 5:55 pm
Andy, have you read the paper? Not trying to be snide, but we do discuss this. The point is that hindlimb locomotion is powered primarily by retractor muscles behind the femur, whereas our baby has powerful protractors ahead of the femur.
February 25, 2011 at 10:54 pm
I have indeed. . .and in the absence of caudal vertebrae, femora, etc., it’s tough to say anything concrete (as you admit in the paper). It looks like brachiosaurs and some titanosaurs also have a big anterior portion of the ilium (maybe not quite as big as Brontomerus, but definitely bigger than in other sauropods). . .what do their anterior caudals look like? Also, big muscles alone are not enough for a powerful kick – the relative length of the lever arm in the system (i.e., where the muscles attach) is important for a speedy kick (just thinking out loud here). My main point is that I’m a little hesitant to discard locomotion as a primary driver of the morphology we’re seeing here.
But in the end, how hard Brontomerus could kick (or not kick) is really tangential to the fact that this is a cool animal with cool morphology. :-)
February 27, 2011 at 9:40 am
(As a side note, English postal addresses are irresistably darling.)
Maybe we should be considering scansoriality.
March 1, 2011 at 11:29 am
LeeB, your clipping from the New Zealand Herald arrived this morning — many thanks!