Re: A Few Thoughts on Dinosaur Metabolism Strategies

[Robert.J.Meyerson@uwrf.edu (Rob Meyerson)]

>A sauropod in the ectothermic phase would still have a long, easy
>stride, and it would still be able to react quickly and effectively >to=
 such occasions as predatory attacks.

An interesting idea.

My only addition to your statements would be related to metabolism.  The=
 example used in one of my biology courses: Which would you rather curl up=
 with at night; one hundred pounds of elephant, or one hundred pounds of=
 rabbit.  We would choose the rabbit because the heat they generate would be=
 so much larger than the elephant.  I suspect that dinosaurian metabolism=
 would be in the same boat, where the smaller (and more vulnerable) dinosaur=
 babies would be raging endotherms, while the adults would have a more=
 conservative matabolism.  In the case of the large sauropods (where the=
 concept of _gigantothermy_ comes into play), the adults could have a=
 metabolism that is so slow, that they would be ectotherms for all practical=
 purposes.

Rob

***
Q. What gastropod is a constant skeptic?

A. Abalony.