Size (was Re: Height (was Re: Velociraptor))

["D.I.G." <dinosaur@interport.net>]

Just so that this doesn't all get spread too thin, a whole range of terms have 
been
introduced here (and please bear in mind that the origin of all this is to 
explain
to a non-native speaker of English the difference between "height" and "length")

Terms in discussion:

    Size
    Mass
    Height
    Tall
    Length.

Okay.

I think we would all agree that "height" or "tall" does not equal "length" in
almost any circumstance. Please disagree now or forever hold your peace.

Size, however, is a little ambiguous and, as Dr. Holtz says, "mass" might be 
more
useful, but much more difficult to determine (see the various historical posts
about dipping various things in water and cleaning up the mess, etc. etc. etc. 
--
just so we don't start that one over again.)

Now, back to "height" and "tall."

"Tall" is a common English word for "heel" to "top of head" as in: "Tommy is 5 
feet
4 inches tall." It becomes problematical in a sentence like: "The apatosaurus 
was
15 feet tall." It is a little hard to know just what the second example means.

So,  clearly, height becomes a "desireable" word.  However, there appear to be
several flavors of "height."  So far, we have "Head Height" (which is 
equivalent to
"tall"), "shoulder height" and "hip height."

My journalistic take on all this is that the word "height" is almost useless 
for a
non-professional readership because there are too many spins on the word.

Clearly, as Tom says,  many dinosaurs tend to be "taller" at the hip.

However, how does one describe, say, "T. rex" or the proffered "Brachiosaurus?"

Let's say, hypothetically speaking,  that you are standing in front of a 
classroom
full of 7 year olds with  pictures of a giraffe, a Brachiosaurus, an Oviraptor, 
a
T. rex, an ape, and a human being.  In typical, annoying, naive 7 year old 
fashion,
a little girl asks: "How tall are each of these animals?"  How does one answer 
her
simply and clearly? If you were to draw the little labels onto each picture, 
where
would you put them?

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. wrote:

> At 06:46 PM 11/16/97 -0500, you wrote:
>
> SNIP
>
> Actually, the "height" for dinosaurs is often "hip height", not "shoulder
> height".  As upright diapsids, the hips of dinosaurs tend to be taller than
> the shoulders (Brachiosaurus a notable exception).
>
> Of course, "mass" is generally a more informative measurment of size in
> biology (as many important features of physiology scale to mass more closely
> than to lengths or heights).  However, mass estimates are somewhat (!) more
> difficult to derive from fossil material than linear dimensions.
>
> Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
> Vertebrate Paleontologist     Webpage: http://www.geol.umd.edu
> Dept. of Geology              Email:th81@umail.umd.edu
> University of Maryland        Phone:301-405-4084
> College Park, MD  20742       Fax:  301-314-9661



--
AOL IM Pager - DinoEditor
ichat PAGER - dinogazette

When you think of dinosaurs, think of DIG!
The Dinosaur Interplanetary Gazette - 245 Million Years of News at Dinosaur 
Central

http://www.dinosaur.org
Encyclopedia Brittanica Internet Guide, Yahoo Editor's Choice, Science Site of 
the
Day, Member of The Paleo Ring

Teefr - A new fantasy-adventure story for the whole family by Edward Summer
http://www.dinosaur.org/teefr.html
Book Three of the Teddy Quartet, Member of The Author Ring.

Laser Publishing Group, Planetarium Station, Box 502-DIG, NY, NY 10024-0502