Re: Furculae

["Jordan Mallon" <j_mallon@hotmail.com>]

> From: MKIRKALDY@aol.com

> So, a fragment of a "furcula" in a _T. rex_ which was not fully grown is
> longer than a complete furcula would have been in a mature _T. rex_?   Not 
> even
> using Jim Cunningham to do the math :), the complete furcula on the 
> Indianapolis
> specimen would have been 35.36 cm compared to FMNH PR2081 at 20 cm?

Hmmm...  I'm looking at Makovicky and Currie's paper on tyrannosaurid 
furculae, and the largest furcula they report measures upwards of 25 cm 
(estimated for Daspletosaurus).  Knowing a T. rex was considerably heftier 
than than ol' Daspleto, I wouldn't think 36 cm to be completely out of the 
question for a T. rex furcula.  Unless, of course, we see a trend towards 
smallenizing (yes, I made it up) the furcula throughout tyrannosaurid 
evolution...

Just a thought.

Jordan Mallon

Undergraduate Student, Carleton University
Vertebrate Paleontology & Paleoecology

Paleoart website: http://www.geocities.com/paleoportfolio/
AIM: jslice mallon

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