Ask A Scientist© Biology Archive

 
name         Isaac
status       student
age          14

Question -   How did the paleontologists of "Walking with Dinosaurs"
make these assumptions about dinosaurs?
One of many assumptions is the walking patterns of the pteronedon. The
way they suggest that pteronedons walk is they used the "elbows"
of their wings as forelegs. In this manner the pteronedon would be
putting most of its weight on the
"front legs." If this were so they would never be able to take off or for
that matter even learn to fly.
In order to take off they would have move their wings. In this theory
their wings support the weight majority and once moved
they would fall forward, thus they would never get off the ground. I
think they must have walked some other way.
Comparative anatomy of living organism, especially birds, and computer
modelling has shown scientist the light as to how these creatures
lived.  Their bone structure and the way the limb articulate on the body
with the knowledge of how the internal organs and muscles attached also
tell scientists how they operated.  It seems difficult, but in reality it
is easily determined with the knowledge that the bone structures have given us.
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The series also had segments about your questioning.  You must not have
followed all the segments that proceeded the advertisements.


Steve Sample
York Community High School
Elmhurst, Illinois
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