RE: A T-rex named Sue

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>]

> From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
> christopher robert noto
> Sent: Monday, August 30, 1999 6:40 PM
> To: Trevor Haldenby
> Cc: artiprom@uio.satnet.net; dinosaurs
> Subject: Re: A T-rex named Sue
>
>
> I thought that there was a find recently of a T. rex nicknamed "Imperator"
> that showed the greatest overall size still and tipped the scales in favor
> of tyrannosaurs again.  Although I'm going on memory here from the various
> magazines I read, I could be confused.  Does anyone else know what I find
> I'm talking about?

Yes, the specimen you refer to is Keith Rigby's _T. rex_.  As just discussed
last week (!!) on the list, the evidence that this specimen is larger than
_Giganotosaurus_ is not verified yet.

>It's kind of a moot point because it seems that
> there is a great variation in size among these animals and to truly say
> which one is bigger doesn't carry much weight I think, except maybe for
> the media interest value it can generate.   Either way, these animals are
> impressive for the sheer size and power they possess and I stand in awe
> when I think of animals like that getting so huge.
>

Well said!!

One interesting thing about the supergiant theropod skull sizes: while the
premaxilla-quadrate distance (tip of snout to hinge with lower jaw) is
considerably greater in the type of _Giganotosaurus_ than in the largest
known _T. rex_ skull, the "base length" (tip of premaxilla to the end of the
occipital condyle: essentially the length along the midline) is about the
same in the two beasts.  This is because in tyrannosaurids (as in most
coelurosaurs) the quadrates are nearly vertical or even swept forwards, so
that the jaw hinge is ventral to the occipital condyle.  In _Gig._, as in
most carnosaurs, basal tetanurines, and neoceratosaurs, the quadrates are
swept back.

(Okay, maybe not the MOST interesting thing about supergiant theropod skull
sizes, but it interests me...).

                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                Vertebrate Paleontologist
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
                College Park, MD  20742
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/tholtz.htm
http://www.inform.umd.edu/SCHOLAR/programs/elt.html
Phone:  301-405-4084    Email:  tholtz@geol.umd.edu
Fax (Geol):  301-314-9661       Fax (CPS-ELT): 301-405-0796


> -----Original Message-----
> Chris Noto
> University of Chicago
>
> On Mon, 30 Aug 1999, Trevor Haldenby wrote:
>
> > Last I recall, Giganotosaurus carolinii has a bigger overall size,
> > Tyrannosaurus rex has smaller overall size but larger skull.
> > I could have these reversed however.
> > Trevor Haldenby
> >
> > Daniel Saravia wrote:
> >
> > > Lately I've been looking for the official size of Sue the T-Rex and
> > > trying to know which is the biggest meat-eating dinosaur the T-rex or
> > > the Giganotosaurus thanx for any help
> >
>