RE: body size and teeth

[Nick Pharris <npharris@umich.edu>]

Quoting "Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>:

> Many hypotheses have been suggested for the larger total body size of
> dinosaurs than terrestrial mammals.  Some include:
...

In addition to the factors listed by the good doctor, I think, in terms of 
length, at least, mammals are prevented from achieving sauropod-like 
proportions by their rather wimpy tails and by their short necks, which are 
necessitated by 1) heads weighed down by complex teeth, strong jaw muscles, 
and big brains, and 2) the lack of an air-sac system.

Nick Pharris
Department of Linguistics
University of Michigan