Re: biggest predators (Allosauridae wins)

["Ken Kinman" <kinman@hotmail.com>]

Keith,
    If Horner's T. rex is that large, it and Giganotosaurus might be so 
close that is might just end up a matter of opinion or semantics which is 
the biggest.  It wouldn't surprise me in the least if another Allosaur or 
Tyrannosaur is discovered in the next 5 years that beats them both by 10%.
     Some people might think it is silly, but eventually statisticians will 
probably be able to calculate which achieved the largest size, and 
approximately how large the biggest specimen might have been (and 
statistically the largest one probably got killed by a younger dinosaur 
somewhat smaller or died of natural causes and got scavenged).  The biggest 
almost certainly didn't fossilize, so we will really never know.
     But as to other posts on this subject, what is silly to one person is 
of interest to another, and someday it might turn out to be significant in 
some way.  I remember Einstein had good things to say about imagination, and 
Darwin said something about speculation being needed for good science and 
observation.  My intuition tells me that they must be at least partially 
right.  When it comes to science, I suspect that too much speculation is 
probably better than too little, at least in the long run.
     And in the case of bacteriology today, there is probably an 
unfortunate lack of imagination and speculation, even when whole genome data 
indicates the Three Domain Theory is far too simplistic.  The 
inconsistencies are explained away in a fashion that reminds me that 
dinosaur tails were once broken to fit certain preconceptions.  In fact it 
may be as bad as long dinosaur tails being mistaken for long necks.
    Bacteriology could learn a lot from the mistakes made in the past in 
the study of vertbrates, but such things are not apparent to most until 
after the fact.  Science today is sometimes a little too specialized for its 
own good, and those in one field don't learn from the mistakes of those in 
another.  I'm starting to ramble, so it's off to bed.  New discoveries and 
announcements waiting in the wings to divert our attention from disturbing 
trends.
                      --------Ken
*******************************************************
> From: "Keith DeHaas" <kdehaas@cub.kcnet.org>
> Reply-To: kdehaas@cub.kcnet.org
> To: <kinman@hotmail.com>, <dinosaur@usc.edu>
> Subject: Re: biggest predators (Allosauridae wins)
> Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2001 20:35:19 -0500
>
> ---- Original Message -----
> From: "Ken Kinman" <kinman@hotmail.com>>
> > Juergen,
> >      I assume they are saying "Monster von Minden" is ca. 150% the size 
> of
> > Allosaurus fragilis.   Sounds like this puts it very close to the size 
> of
> > Allosaurus amplexus.
> >      Therefore, I have to conclude that Family Allosauridae wins as
> biggest
> > theropods in both the Jurassic and Cretaceous.
> >                   ------Ken Kinman
> > P.S.  At least for now anyway.  Could be challenged by new forms of
> > tyrannosaurid, megalosaurid, or spinosaurid.
> > ********************************************************
>
> If Horner's new _T. rex_  is actually 10% larger than Sue as he claims,
> won't it be the largest theropod known?
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