"Thunder Thighs" Thrashed Predators to Death?

marco_polo

Newly discovered sauropods that appears to have had extrememly powerful thigh muscles, scientists who have studied the fossil over the past few years (which was actually first uncovered up in Utah 1994 - probably a revealing statistic in itself about the ratio of unstudied specimens to paleontologists in the world), believe its purpose may welll have been for deliverying highly damaging kicks to attacking predators.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/02/110223-thunder-thighs-new-dinosaur-species-fossils-science-brontomerus/
A newfound dinosaur species that used its "exceptionally powerful" thighs to kick predators likely had a bad temper to boot, one expert says.

The 46-foot-long (14-meter-long) Brontomerus mcintoshi had an immense blade on its hipbones where strong muscles would have attached, according to a new study.

"These things don't happen by accident—this is something that's clearly functional," said study co-author Mathew Wedel.

The team suspects the dinosaur—a type of sauropod, or plant-eating, four-legged lumberer—used its massive legs to either maneuver over hilly ground or deliver "good, hard" kicks to predators, said Wedel, assistant professor of anatomy at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California.

Brontomerus—"thunder thighs" in Greek—may have even attacked like a modern-day chicken, relentlessly kicking and stomping pursuers to death, he added.

Seems like an ideal candidate for Primal Carnage

Rubecula

Blimey it sounds just like my Ex.:pac:

Galvasean

Plenty of epic pctures going around of this guy.



Hiya!!!

Alternate theory for strong kicking ability:

Adam Khor

There's an alternate theory on Brontomerus which I find even more interesting than the "kicking predators to death" one. Some scientists suggested that the animal may have had very different proportions to those of other known sauropods, perhaps having extremely long legs and looking like a monstrous giraffe, or even, that it could be a cursorial (running) sauropod!
But of course, until new remains are found its all mere speculation...