THE DANGEROUS DINOSAUR ORCHESTRA.From Random House’s “Dino Babies” (Bakker/Rey)
This is a personal favourite. Robert Bakker (always classically-minded) compared this illustration to the depiction of a battle scene by Alexander the Great (mostly for its dynamics). For me this is the ultimate Dinosaur Ochestra of Parasaurolophus protecting their babies with the basso-profundo horn section blowing at full earth-shaking intensity!
I’m proposing here sound as one of the main weapons of the apparently inoffensive hadrosaurs. That could explain the fact of their lack or armour (better than speed, poison or other reasons that have been proposed). High and low ultrasound and many other types of uncomfortable use of sound have been well known and used as defence and attack mechanisms. It may also explain why the only evidence of tyrannosaur attack on a hadrosaur comes from bitten (but later healed) tail vertebrae… the tyrannosaur had to ambush from behind or risk deafness or paralysed nervous system!
The -almost deaf by now- poor retreating tyrannosaur in this picture was drawn using the original design in the Gigantoraptor scene that was to be modified and turned into Alectrosaurus.
