RE: Saurophaganax questions

["Tracy L. Ford" <dino.hunter@cox.net>]

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
Mickey Mortimer
Sent: Wednesday, August 07, 2002 6:01 PM
To: dinosaur@usc.edu
Subject: Re: Saurophaganax questions

dexter dexter wrote-

> I've still got a doubt... Should I call it Allosaurus maximus or
Saurophaganax maximus?

Apparently Holtz's genericometer posts have done no good.  It's a subjective
choice at the moment, though I would recommend keeping it separate until
there's evidence maximus is more closely related to Allosaurus than other
named allosaurids.

See http://www.cmnh.org/dinoarch/2001Jan/msg00445.html for all the details
on big allosaurids.

> Do we have more than just fragmentary remains?

The holotype is OMNH 001123, a dorsal neural arch.  Material referred to
this species includes a postorbital, two quadrates, three teeth, an atlas,
cervicals, caudal centra, chevrons, an ilium, a pubis, an ischium, a
humerus, manual phalanges and unguals, a femur, a tibia and pedal elements.

> How big were the claws, I heard they had the biggest claws of any dinosaur
(now if that's not a big title...).

I don't have actual measurements for the manual unguals, but manual ungual I
of a 13 meter long allosaur (the largest size suggested by known remains)
would be about 210 mm long.  A manual ungual of Therizinosaurus is about 650
mm for comparison, so Saurophaganax did not have the largest claws.<<
Your comparing apples and oranges here. Therizinosaurus claws don't look
like allosaur claws. If you used Baryonyx, then' that'd work. Yea I know,
I'm nit picking here.
Years ago I was visiting Dan Chure at Dinosaur National Monument and he was
showing me the Saurophaganx/Saurophagus material. I remember quite well when
he took out the claw and put it around his waist! Ok, he's not a big guy but
it was quite impressive! I wish they'd cast the claw I'd love to get a copy
of it.

Mickey Mortimer


Tracy L. Ford
P. O. Box 1171
Poway Ca  92074