Re: Size of *Neoceratodus africanus* and ...

[don ohmes <d_ohmes@yahoo.com>]

--- On Tue, 3/31/09, Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au> wrote:

> Quoting don ohmes <d_ohmes@yahoo.com>:
> > If, as a biped, you spend a lot of time catching fish,
> specifically
> > exploiting fluvial systems w/ lot of shallow water and
> fluctuating water
> > levels, you will be competing w/ crocs, or just trying
> to stay off _their_
> > menu. Especially around those drying pools w/ the
> trapped fish. Reason enough
> > to attain large size, as well as maintain a high
> degree of terrestrial
> > competence.
> 
> Deinosuchus would have laughed at a spinosaur's
> 'large size'.

Assuming a Deinosuchus equivalent actually _was_ coeval w/ the conical-toothed 
spinosaurs, which wouldn't be surprising; could you explain how it would have 
been a negative influence on spinosaur size? I am having trouble seeing your 
point, at least from the selective perspective.

> More likely their large size (relative to us at least)
> helped them to hold their own against other 
> large theropod species. 

Surely large size would help there. Although the functional contrast between 
shark-like teeth and conical teeth would seem to indicate different prey, and 
therefore likely a limited competitive interface w/ the shark-toothed species, 
as has often pointed out. Are there other known cone-toothed species? Excepting 
the croc equivalents, of course...

> Either that, or they simply
> inherited large size from their ancestors.

?