Terror Bird Update

More madness in my book Dinosaur Enlightenment: Piercing the Veil on Kaiju Dinosaur in an Age of Disruption availabe on Amazon as an ebook and soft cover!!

I would be remiss if I didn't mention this study on the neck anatomy and implications for vigorous movement in the sagittal plane.

Tambussi CP, de Mendoza R, Degrange FJ, Picasso MB (2012) Flexibility along the Neck of the Neogene Terror Bird Andalgalornis steulleti (Aves Phorusrhacidae). PLoS ONE 7(5): e37701. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0037701

Since both my scenario of bite, grind and pull and the hammer blow hypothesis both rely on extensive, dynamic, and robust neck musculature I can't really say that this work supports either notion more strongly.

What I did find of interest was the one comment someone left in the comment field for this PLoS ONE paper:

Well RobertoS, as you made the connection between Allosaurus/theropods way back on October 11, 2013 looks like you beat me to the punch a bit :^)  .... Just add the serrated tongue/choanal papillae and stress reducing headgear and it's complete!!

Furthermore the authors responded to this valid point and question with.... nothing!! Seriously what is with writers/researchers not fielding the questions that someone who took the time and energy to write on your very own published work - and probably had to go through the hastle of getting a PLoS ONE account. Say what you will about blogging but it is a living, breathing, responsive media.