• I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      I think the tail is shown in perspective, pointing away from the viewer. It’s much bigger and would have been an effective counter balance. It’s also probably still affected by the “shrink-wrapped dinosaur” phenomenon and actually had much meatier bits, we just don’t know where. Hell, it could have had elephant trunk-like noodle arms and we wouldn’t know it. How terrifying would that have been?? https://pleated-jeans.com/2024/11/02/paleo-artist-shrink-wrap-animal-pictures/

    • WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      Doesn’t matter. Anyone would be scared shitless facing down a 10-20ft chicken. It might look stupid but it could kill you easily.

    • Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de
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      3 days ago

      consider that the body is full of lungs and airsacks and hollow bones (i think, definitely lungs at the very least) while the tail is basically just solid muscle, and iirc the pivot point of the hips is actually a pretty good deal further forward than you’d think.

      They also don’t have to be completely evenly balanced, it’s normal for there to be some muscle effort involved to stand up, that’s why animals generally like laying down when they can.