Re: Mesozoic biomass

[Phil Bigelow <bigelowp@juno.com>]

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 19:56:25 -0400 "W. F. Zimmerman, wfzimmerman.com"
<wfz@wfzimmerman.com> writes:
 
> My basic question is, how was there enough food for all the 
> dinosaurs?

It would depend on the population numbers for each ecosystem.  Even a
SLIGHTLY different ecosystem (e.g., a region 200 kilometers distant with
10% less rainfall per year) would support a smaller maximum number of
megafauna.  Absolute populations of Mesozoic dinosaurs are currently
unknown.

It is easier to estimate relative *proportions* of dinosaur taxa per unit
time-area (see Fastovsky and Sheehan, 1998) than it is to estimate
absolute populations per unit time-area (see.....errrmmmm....... no one).

<pb>
--