Re: new Godzilla 2014-biomechanical problems?

[Mike Habib <biologyinmotion@gmail.com>]

Interestingly enough, vascular limitations probably kick in before weight 
support issues. Bone is stronger in axial compression than concrete. That won't 
allow an animal as large as a skyscraper, or even close, but it could allow 
animals larger than what internal fluid flow limitations likely allow. 

--Mike H.


Sent from my Cybernetic Symbiote

> On Dec 15, 2013, at 6:29 AM, "Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@umd.edu> wrote:
> 
>> On Sun, December 15, 2013 1:35 am, Hammer wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> There is supposedly 2 other "monsters" in the film - are we finally going
>> to get our radioactive mutant carnivorous sauropod?  :-)
> 
> The word I have is MULTIPLE other giant monsters: some merely sauropod
> sized, others scaling up to Godzilla.
> 
>> Will there be an up-to-date "Rodan" pterosaur with a penchant for
>> cetaceans on its menu?
> 
> No. The word I have heard is that all of the other monsters are original
> to this movie, and that there are ZERO plans to reintroduce monsters from
> the Japanese movies.
> 
>> As experts, what physical problems would you see for a beastie this large
>> being able to support its own weight, etc.? (I won't press you on the
>> radioactive "fire" breath)  :-)
> Mike Taylor has something to say about that. But basically, you are way
> beyond the mechanical strength of bone, muscle, flesh, cartilage, etc.
> when you start building skyscraper-sized tetrapods.
> 
> Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
> Email: tholtz@umd.edu    Phone: 301-405-4084
> Office: Centreville 1216
> Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
> Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
> http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
> Fax: 301-314-9661
> 
> Faculty Director, Science & Global Change Program, College Park Scholars
> http://www.geol.umd.edu/sgc
> Fax: 301-314-9843
> 
> Mailing Address:    Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
>            Department of Geology
>            Building 237, Room 1117
>            University of Maryland
>            College Park, MD 20742 USA