Re: Megalania question - DNA

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

Jura writes: 

> --- On Mon, 6/2/08, Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au> wrote:
> > More recent estimates put an adult Megalania at around 4.5m
> > long and between 
> > 300 to 400kg in weight.
> > http://www.bio.usyd.edu.au/staff/swroe/Wroe2002review.pdf 
>
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 
>
> Actually, the most recent _Megalania_ work would be that of Ralph Molnar.  
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Dust-Paleobiology-Monitor-Megalania/dp/0253343747/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1212464582&sr=8-1 
>
> Dr. Molnar found 320kg to be about the average size of the _Megalania_ specimens currently known, with the largest individuals hitting 7 meters and 920kg. 

Total length estimates in particular will depend largely on the length of 
the tail, which lacking any complete fossil specimens will usually be 
conjecture. Mass is probably a better way of comparing 'size', since a tail 
ending with a long thing whip-like structure won't increase the mass much, 
but could potentially add a metre or three to the total length. 

Earlier one-tonne-plus mass estimates (Auffenberg gave the heaviest, at 2.2 
tonnes) were almost certainly incorrect. I haven't read Molnar's book, but 
I'd be interested to know which specimens gave the 7m length estimate. Hecht 
gave a similar length estimate in 1975, which he extrapolated from a single 
phalanx! 

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Dann Pigdon
GIS / Archaeologist              http://geo_cities.com/dannsdinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia             http://heretichides.soffiles.com
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