Re: Tubinates & Nano T.

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

Mark Sumner writes;

>What literature I have seen on this feature to date suggests that these
>features indicate that Nano was an olfactory hunter.  But shouldn't the
>existance of these structures in this small member of the
>tyrannosaurids, and their absence in larger members, indicate a possible
>vote for the "hybrid" metabolism theory?

Not necessarily.  The "suped-up nose" could actually be seen as a factor of
survival, than a factor of metabolism.  See below.

>Larger tyrannids might have been able to accept outside air without
>conditioning, counting on sheer bulk to minimize any heat losses.  Nano,
>with considerably less mass, may have been more sensitive to such
>losses and may have had a more actively regulated body temperature.

Actually, the folding in Nano's olfactory region could simply provide more
surface area for the olfactory organ.  As a result, Nano's sense of smell would
be much more acute than a proportionally sized Rex.  In a way, we could expect
this type of structure to evolve: assuming that Nano lived in the same
environment as something from the tyrannosaur family, then a smaller hunter,
like Nano, would've had to develop some kind of feature that would give it an
advantage over it's larger contemporaries.  Having a better sence of smell
would've meant that they could smell a meal from a much larger distance.  I
envision Nano occupying a coyote-like niche.

The comments on body temperature does seem to describe Nano as having a more
active metabolism than Rex.  However, this doesn't mean that Rex had to be an
ectotherm, simply that Nano's metabolism was more active.

>All right, so now everyone can tell me it's been covered everywhere and
>I'm simply ignorant.

What's ignorant mean;-)

Rob

***
"No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!"
                        -MPFC