Re: Nanotyrannus

[pharrinj@PLU.edu]

On Tue, 9 Jan 1996 Dinogeorge@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 96-01-08 00:21:01 EST, zooamy@zoo.latrobe.edu.au (Adam
> Yates) writes:
> 
> >So what about the advanced state of fusion between the bones of the 
> >skull? Is this just an artefact resulting from the sutures being 
> >plastered over by the restorer?
> >
> >
> 
> I have the feeling that skull-bone fusion may not be as good an indicator of
> juvenility or subadulthood as we've thought. If _Nanotyrannus_ had a bimodal
> growth pattern, say rapid growth from hatchling to subadult, then slower
> indeterminate growth from subadult to large adult, it could well have had
> skull-bone fusion already at the subadult stage. I'm just waving my hands
> here, however.
> 

How could a _Nanotyrannus_ skull get from the known size to the enormous 
size of  _Tyrannosaurus_ skull after the skull bones had fused?!!