tyranno growth

[GSP1954@aol.com]

Took a look at the tyranno growth paper. The authors note that the body mass 
estimates based on femoral circumferance are conservative. Indeed. The value 
for Tyrannosaurus is just a little low, but those for the others are low by a 
factor of two or more. Gorgosaurs, albertosaurs and daspletosaurs were very 
large tyrannosaurs whose volume shows they massed about 2.5 tonnes. No way they 
were only one fifth the size of Tyrannosaurus, at the mass of wee cattle. An 
example of the perils of using limb bone circumferance as indicators of mass, 
the relationship between the two being highly inconsistent. 

As for the nonsense about the speed slacking off at 1000 kg, Bill Sellers and 
I will address that issue in joint presentations at SVP, including advanced 
computer simulations. That giant tyrannosaurs were fast growing, r-strategists 
that died young pretty much refutes the argument that they dared not take the 
risk of dying from falling while running fast. They lived an extreme, on the 
edge lifestyle. 

G Paul