Greetings,
I was watching the "Big Al" segment of WWD the other day and have been wondering about the basis for the claim, stated in the film, that multiple bone pathologies suggest a high metabolic rate. At an elementary level, an animal that runs around all day may seem more likely to break something than an animal that just sits around, but I would think that selection would produce bones in both animals that are sufficiently strong to withstand the range of forces its lifestyle normally subjects it to. Has anyone compared the frequency and type of bone pathologies seen in carniorous dinosaurs to those seen in large endothermic predators--say, the Mesozoic crocodilians--to see if there really is a difference?
PTN