Re: Oklahoma state fossil...

["Timothy Williams" <twilliams_alpha@hotmail.com>]

Nick Pharris wrote:

>  _Saurophaganax_ is, IIRC, only known from a portion of a single vertebra,
> which indicates it was bigger than typical _Allosaurus_; I would have to 
> say
> that too little is known to say whether the entire animal would have been
> larger than the largest known _T. rex_.


_Saurophaganax maximus_ is known from more than just a partial vertebra (you 
may be thinking of _Epanterias_).

The holotype (OMNH 01123) is a neural arch (mid-dorsal), but material 
referred to _S. maximus_ includes an atlas, other vertebrae (cervical, 
dorsal, caudal), humerus, hip elements/fragments, femur, tibia, and pes.  
All material comes from "Stovall's Pit 1" (Quarry 1), Cimarron County, 
Oklahoma, United States.  I believe this conforms to the upper part of 
Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation; Late Jurassic (late 
Kimmeridgian).

Based upon this material (representing at leasty two individuals), Chure 
(1995) estimates a body length of over 14m and a weight of close to 3 tons.


Tim


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