Re: Saurischian pages finished

[Mike Taylor <mike@indexdata.com>]

> Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 07:19:36 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Steven Mahon <floridamahon@yahoo.com>
> 
> > - "Some [sauropods] grew over 100ft. long, & others
> > grew over 80 ft. high!"  
> > Which ones were over 80 feet high?!
> 
> You know what? I honestly don't remember where I got
> that. I'll do some research!

I can spare you the exercise for this question.  The only 80-foot-tall
sauropod is a _Diplodocus_ balancing on the point of its tail :-)

The tallest sauropods were the brachiosaurs, based on both their long
necks and a general shape that would have made it easier for them to
raise their necks into elevated postures than for other sauropods.  Of
the brachiosaurs, the longest-necked one we currently know about is
_Sauroposeidon_, which is briefly described in Wedel, Cifelli and
Sanders 2000a, and in much more detail in Wedel, Cifelli and Sanders
2000b.  The evidence is good for a forty-foot neck, which allows an
overall vertical height approaching sixty feet.

References:

Wedel, M. J., R. L. Cifelli and R. K. Sanders.  2000a.  _Sauroposeidon
proteles_, a new sauropod from the Early Cretaceous of Oklahoma.
Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 20(1):109-114.

Wedel, M. J., R. L. Cifelli and R. K. Sanders.  2000.  Osteology,
paleobiology, and relationships of the sauropod dinosaur
Sauroposeidon.  Acta Palaeontologica Polinica 45(4): 343-388

I am glad to say that both of these papers are freely available at:
        http://www.snomnh.ou.edu/pdf/2000/00-27.pdf
and
        http://www.snomnh.ou.edu/pdf/2000/00-28.pdf
respectively.

Enjoy!

 _/|_    _______________________________________________________________
/o ) \/  Mike Taylor  <mike@indexdata.com>  http://www.miketaylor.org.uk
)_v__/\  "Have you found a better way of doing it?" / "No, but I've
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