Comments on: Catching a Dinosaur by the Tail http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/dinosaur/2012/08/catching-a-dinosaur-by-the-tail/ Where Paleontology Meets Pop Culture Sat, 22 Dec 2012 16:48:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4 By: Skent http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/dinosaur/2012/08/catching-a-dinosaur-by-the-tail/comment-page-1/#comment-6912 Skent Sun, 02 Sep 2012 17:46:14 +0000 http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/dinosaur/?p=8354#comment-6912 Theropods are different to reptiles and birds. Birds lost most of their tail for flight and weight reasons. The non-avian theropod tail is far more necessary because of the function it serves in posture and balance. In the case of Spinosaurus, I think it's reasonable to assume a fairly long tail would be needed to balance out a long snout, neck, and torso, with the added weight of the sail. Theropods are different to reptiles and birds. Birds lost most of their tail for flight and weight reasons. The non-avian theropod tail is far more necessary because of the function it serves in posture and balance.

In the case of Spinosaurus, I think it’s reasonable to assume a fairly long tail would be needed to balance out a long snout, neck, and torso, with the added weight of the sail.

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