From: Dinogeorge@aol.com
Reply-To: Dinogeorge@aol.com
To: dinosaur@usc.edu
Subject: Re: largest dinosaur
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2001 15:49:38 EST
In a message dated 10/28/01 8:54:25 PM EST, gasperex@hotmail.com writes:
<< The largest dinosaur is Argentinosaurus measuring about 114 feet long
and
80 to 100 tons. And the second largest and most recent giant is Paralititan
which would be around 90 to 100 feet long and 70 to 80 tons. >>
These "measurements" are not measurements, they're >estimates<. We don't
have
enough of the skeletons of either genus to be able to measure their
lengths,
and we don't have the living animals in hand to measure their weights.
Based
on Cope's drawing of the type neural arch of Amphicoelias fragillimus, and
assuming it was built like a diplodocid sauropod, we can >estimate< its
length at nearly 200 feet (about 60 meters--presuming it had the diplodocid
whiplash tail) and its mass at more than 100 metric tons. These are the
largest dinosaur size estimates based on fossil skeletal material I've seen
to date.
Regarding trackways--somewhere on this list, or maybe elsewhere, I've seen
reports of huge sauropod tracks from Australia that are supposed to be a
couple of meters across. This would represent an animal in the size range
of
Amphicoelias fragillimus described above. Anyone know any more about these
tracks?