Page 42 - Dinosaur (DK Eyewitness Books)

All about tails

DȪȯȰȴȢȶȳȴ ȶȴȦȥ ȵȩȦȪȳ ȵȢȪȭȴ for many different purposes.
Most importantly, the tails helped the animals to move around.
Each side of a dinosaur’s tail anchored a muscle that pulled the leg
on that side backward in order to push the body forward. Because
a muscle pulls at both ends at once, most theropods’ tails must
have waggled from side to side as they walked. Tails also helped
RODLIKE TAIL
front-heavy dinosaurs to keep their balance as they walked or Deinonychus swished its tail from side to side to
ran. And a sauropod rearing its head might have supported keep its balance as it chased and leapt upon its prey.
This feathered theropod’s long tail stuck out like
its body on a tripod made up of its tail and both hind limbs. a ramrod thanks to stiffening structures on the tail
that locked together all the tail bones except those
closest to the dinosaur’s body. Such a tail was typical
of the dromaeosaurids—the group of birdlike
Caudal vertebra theropods that Deinonychus belonged to.
(tail bone)
Attachment area
for tail muscles

Elongated chevron Chevron bones are flatter
(V-shaped downward Back was held horizontally and wider in the middle
projection of vertebra) when running of the tail

Balancing tail

BALANCING ON THE MOVE
An ornithischian such as Dryosaurus held its stiffened
tail above the ground when walking, and held it out
horizontally when running on its hind limbs. The tail
helped to balance this ornithopod’s head, neck, and
most of the body’s trunk. Dryosaurus was a fast runner,
but if chased by a faster theropod, the dinosaur might Strong leg muscles
have tried to escape by lifting its tail and flicking its helped Dryosaurus
end to one side, making a sudden, dodging turn to to run fast
evade the predator.

40