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Re: Spinosaurus aegyptiacus holotype



Mickey Mortimer wrote:

The dorsal neural arches are not fused to the centra.  I don't see why
people ignore Spinosaurus' size, or claim it's uncertain that it was larger
than Tyrannosaurus.


Can we be certain that Stromer's measurements were accurate? The type material was obliterated (*sob*), so the dimensions of individual elements are based on Stromer's descriptions alone.

This same issue applies to the type material for _Amphicoelias fragillimus_: Cope's measurements of the type vertebra suggests a truly enormous sauropod. Although it may seem unlikely that someone could get something as simple as linear measurements wrong (how hard is it to use a tape measure?), I seem to recall that this is what happened with the scapula referred to _Ultrasaurus_. A second look at this scapula showed that the original length given for this bone was exaggerated, and that the scapula was no larger than one previously referred to _Brachiosaurus_.


Tim

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