Re: Dino population sizes?

[Tom Holtz <tholtz@geochange.er.usgs.gov>]

> > Does the scientific community feel that they are able to realistically
> > gauge the size of the population of various dinos ...?
>
>Not really.  The best one can really do is estimate relative
>abundances.

On this subject:

An interesting read, if you can find it, is:
Farlow, J.O.  1993.  On the rareness of big, fierce animals: Speculations
about the body sizes, population densities, and geographic ranges of
predatory mammals and large carnivorous dinosaurs.  American Journal of
Science, Vol. 293-A, p. 167-199.

(This is in the special Ostrom festschrift issue of AJS - easy to find on
the library shelf, since it is one of only two fat blue volumes of the
journal!).

                                
Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.                                   
tholtz@geochange.er.usgs.gov
Vertebrate Paleontologist in Exile                  Phone:      703-648-5280
U.S. Geological Survey                                FAX:      703-648-5420
Branch of Paleontology & Stratigraphy
MS 970 National Center
Reston, VA  22092
U.S.A.