Re: Dinosaurs, Size, and Land Area

["Steve Salisbury" <steve_salisbury@bigpond.com>]

----------
>From: "Rob Schenck" <rs7286@albany.edu>
>Subject: Re: Dinosaurs, Size, and Land Area
>Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2001 5:28 PM

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Steve Salisbury" <steve_salisbury@bigpond.com>
> Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2001 1:22 AM
> Subject: Re: Dinosaurs, Size, and Land Area

SNIP (stuff on territorial crocs and stockyards)

> perhaps i misunderstand this phenomena.  Are the crocs waiting in the
> stockyards to grow and become big enough to defend thier own private
> territory . . .

yes

> are the large ones defending territory by being big; and by virtue of being
> so big they go relatively unchallenged,  or by being agressive;  where being
> little and agressive with someone who is big and agressive leads to
> undesirable result.

Probably right on both accounts.  Let me know if you ever encounter a
passive 5 m male saltie.

> if larger crocs are more agressive (within their own species),
> is it probable that the same holds true for dinosaurs?

Sure.

>And -if- it holds
> true for dinosaurs, is it probable that they, having extreme size, might
> also have extreme size differences, and therefore also extreme differences
> in aggression.

It's all relative, isn't it?

>And further, -if- this is probable, then can it be tested by
> examining physical/anatomical/morphological differences between size
> classes, and looking for factors that are unrelated to larger size itself,
> such as if the larger croc is twice as big, but its dermal scutes are more
> than twice as big or high, then this might be realted to whatever is causing
> that agression, (such as higher levels of testosterone or whatever).

I guess you could look at that if you wanted.

> This
> of course is meaningless if larger crocs are infact not more aggressive, and
> are simply not chalenged by intermediate sized crocs.

Sounds better.

> Thats what i meant by
> "agression" dimorphism", i though the analogy to sexual dimorphism was more
> apparent than it is.  Of course this whole idea is rather silly, but, as i
> said in the begining, at least i find it interesting, and thought it woudl
> be worth a shot posting.

No worries,

Steve


---------------------------
Dr Steven Salisbury
Palaeontology and Geology, Queensland Museum
PO Box 3300, South Brisbane, Q 4101, Australia

email: steve_salisbury@bigpond.com
phone: +61 0407788660

http://www.Qmuseum.qld.gov.au/organisation/sections/PalaeontologyGeology/