Re: Daspletosaurus?

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 98-02-02 12:02:00 EST, martz@holly.ColoState.EDU writes:

<< I've wondered about this trend for a while, as to if it really
 exists, not just among dinosaurs but reptiles in general.  Tyrannosaurus,
 Triceratops, Anatotitan and Edmontosaurus are certainly large compared to
 Judithian North America dinosaurs, but what about other dinosaurs, and
 other reptile groups?  _Mosasaurus_ has been touted as the largest
 mosasaur, although I've learned that _Tylosaurus_ got as large.  An then
 there is _Queztocoatlus_. How to the giant crocodilians of the Late
 Maastrichtian compare with, say, big Judithian crocodilians?  IS there a
 general trend among late Maastrictian reptiles to get especially huge
 compared to related late Campanian forms?     >>

Here's a real example of Cope's Rule--that is, Cope's Tendency (it's not a
"rule") at work.