RE: basal metabolism

["Stewart, Dwight" <Dwight.Stewart@VLSI.com>]

        -----Original Message-----
        From:   Jack [SMTP:jconrad@lib.drury.edu]
        Sent:   Wednesday, January 27, 1999 6:09 PM
        To:     'dinosaur@usc.edu'
        Subject:        basal metabolism

        > if this variation in growth rate did > happen, 
        > one practical advantage could be a reduced effective basal 
        > metabolism, 
        > thus (perhaps) requiring less food? 

        Something similar to this happens in mammals and birds today.  A
period of
        rapid growth followed by an adulthood where metabolic requirements
are
        proportionately less.  This should not be viewed as an indication
that adult
        dinosaurs were "less warm-blooded" than the young unless the same
can be
        said for elephants, egrets, and _Mus_.  

        Jack

        @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

        Yes, I agree - I wouldn't think it WOULD mean that.  This occurs
with we humans too, unfortunately.
:-)     It would seem that if this is true, at least part of the problem of
how did the really huge dinosaurs 
enough to eat might be answered.

Regards;
Dwight