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Would the factor of a curved magazine allowing the shooter to get closer to the ground when prone be one of the considerations?
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I don't think so- as much as the front of the magazine rises, the rear has to be lower. The more pronounced the curve, the more it implies a conical shape to the ammunition, which makes it harder to feed properly. An extreme example of the curved magazine is the French Chauchat, sometimes called the worst machine gun ever made.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chauchat
Those weapons where magazine positioning was designed to allow the user to get closer to the ground either put them on top, or on the side (IIRC this was actually a design requirement of the Sterling L2, based on combat experience with the Sten).