RE: Growth-spurt

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>]

> From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
> TooTs
>
> Hi, everyone!
> I remember mention of a "growth-spurt" in at least one of the articles about
> "Jane".
> Is the "growth-spurt" secure or more on the speculative side?
> Are such "growth-spurts" known in other theropods?
> Thanks in advance
> Torsten van der Lubbe
>
"Growth Spurts" seem to be found in all the dinosaur fossil growth series 
studied: the tyrannosaurids Tyrannosaurus, Daspletosaurus,
Gorgosaurus, and Albertosaurus; the alvarezsaurid Shuvuuia; the coelophysoid 
Synt... er, Megap..., er, Coelophysis (;-); the
prosauropod Massospondylus; the diplodocoid Apatosaurus; the ceratopsian 
Psittacosaurus; and the hadrosaurid Maiasaura. In fact,
MOST animals show some period of accelerated growth in their life cycle.

See
Erickson, G.M., K. Curry Rogers & S.A. Yerby. 2001. Dinosaurian growth patterns 
and rapid avian growth rates. Nature 412: 429-433.
and
Erickson, G.M., P.J. Makovicky, P.J. Currie, M.A. Norell, S.A. Yerby & C.A. 
Brochu. 2004. Gigantism and comparative life-history
parameters of tyrannosaurid dinosaurs. Nature 430:772-775.
for the details.

                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                Vertebrate Paleontologist
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
        Mailing Address:
                Building 237, Room 1117
                College Park, MD  20742

http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite
Phone:  301-405-4084    Email:  tholtz@geol.umd.edu
Fax (Geol):  301-314-9661       Fax (CPS-ELT): 301-405-0796