Hewer on 23/10/2007 at 20:25
I like the balance and vibration damping idea- that's a lot of how a suspension bridge works, right?
I've always seen sauropods described as being like a suspension bridge- the tail and neck balancing out over the hips. The head is relatively light, and doesn't need much to help balance it, but with the fulcrum at the hip, the tail helps balance the weight of the torso and front legs, too.
A giraffe holds it's head straight up. You can see the neck flex to help preserve balance as the animal walks. A sauropod held it's neck vertically- I'm assuming you're saying the dino used it's neck and tail in the same sort of manner, only at a different angle.
I used to move irrigation pipe by hand when I was a kid. You'd pick one up at the middle, and start trudging along with it, and you'd get into this bouncy rythm that actually helped you carry the big thing.
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I think part of the giant mesozoic vacuum cleaner idea where sauropods moved very slowly and swung their heads around to eat was that the vegetation at the time wasn't all that tall. What they ate was right about head height for them with their head held straight out. They mostly had ferns, early conifers and palms going on, I think.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
