Re: Not dinosaurs

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 96-01-25 21:15:03 EST, darwincr@laplaza.taos.nm.us (JCMcL)
writes:

>Really?  How would we find surface area of such a (roughly conical, I 
>believe) object?  Can anyone here do it?  I think it'll be pretty large, 
>though I surely lack George's certainty.

Surface area of a slender cone is mathematically trivial. Compare it with the
volume of the _same_ cone--not with the volume of the entire sauropod
body(!). As a first approximation, the sauropod body would not lose heat
except through the tail (and neck, an equally trivial surface to model as an
elongate cylinder).

Then compare the surface area of a thin sheet ("elephant ears") with the
volume of the same sheet (nearly zero). Now, _there's_ a high
surface-to-volume ratio.