giantism of dinosaurs

[Westmeie@pprz02.hrz.Uni-Marburg.DE]

Hi All,
I just read an article by John Ostrom where he discussed the probable
advantages of dinosaurs being giant in a few sentences. That took me to 
the question how the dinosaurs managed to have such strong bones, joints, 
cartilage, tendons and other anatomical features to carry a body 
weighing about five, ten or forty tons and more. Can anyone give me 
some refs where these questions (according to the anatomical 
features) are discussed in detail? Why did their skeletons not break 
down?

[There are a lot, but here are a few you should look for:

 Author:         Alexander, R. McNeill.
 Title:          Dynamics of dinosaurs and other extinct giants / R. McNeill
                   Alexander.
 Published:      New York : Columbia University Press, c1989.
 Description:    167 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. 

 Author:         McGowan, Christopher.
 Title:          Diatoms to dinosaurs : the size and scale of living things /
                   Chris McGowan ; illustrations by Julian Mulock.
 Published:      Washington, D.C. : Island Press/Shearwater Books, c1994.
 Description:    xiii, 288 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.

 Author:         McGowan, Christopher.
 Title:          Dinosaurs, spitfires, and sea dragons / Christopher McGowan.
 Published:      Cambridge, Mass. : Harvard University Press, 1991.
 Description:    x, 365 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.

 -- MR ]

Thanks in advance,
Martin
*****************************************************
Martin Westmeier
Fachbereich Biologie/Zoologie
Philipps-Universitaet Marburg
AG Prof.Dr. H.-O. von Hagen
35032 Marburg
E-mail: westmeie@stud-mailer.uni-marburg.de