Re: Horner's JP3 interview

["Steve Brusatte" <dinoland@lycos.com>]

On Sat, 14 Jul 2001 16:11:59
 JAMES ARONIS wrote:
>Here's the interview in question:
>http://www.ingennet.com/media/jp3/clips/spinopart.mpg
>
>This is what he says in another interview:
>
>"We do know that [the spino] had a skull that was eight feet long, and a body 
>that
>was about 60 feet long," Jack Horner [said]. "If we base the ferocious factor 
>on
>the length of the animal, there was nothing that ever lived on this planet that
>could match this creature. Also, my hypothesis is that T-rex was actually a
>scavenger rather than a killer. Spinosaurus was really the predatory animal."

I like Horner, and think he is a good scientist.  But I agree-what is he 
talking about here?  It seems awful strange to me that a man that always 
preaches "good science" (if you don't know what I'm talking about, listen to 
one of his talks or lectures), is suddenly using these ungodly numbers and 
trying to pass them off as fact.  Not to say that it was impossible for 
Spinosaurus to reach this size.  In fact, Spinosaurus may have gotten this big, 
although it is a big if...  And, I have no problem recognizing Spinosaurus as 
one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs known.  However, I would really like 
to know where he is getting these numbers.  It does seem like he is getting 
them from somewhere...but where??

Steve

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