Re: [dinosaur] T. rex known better than recent reptile species?

[Thomas Richard Holtz <tholtz@umd.edu>]

While we COULD know those modern species better, it actually takes effort. A great many modern species have never had their skeletal anatomy adequately described, for instance. Unless biologists actually bother to make the observations, test the bite forces, describe the lomotion, etc., these living species remain largely undescribed. Not undescribe-able: they couldÂPOTENTIALLY be studied. But understudied for now.

On Mon, Oct 12, 2020 at 2:41 AM Poekilopleuron <dinosaurtom2015@seznam.cz> wrote:

Good day,

I was wondering if it is actually true (what some books and media state), that well known dinosaur species (like Tyrannosaurus rex) are "better known/thoroughly described" than some of the less known recent species of vertebrates (say some endemic lizard species from distant and almost inaccessible localities). Even though we have a lot of skeletal material and modern methods of studying it, I doubt any extinct species as old as Cretaceous dinosaurs could be "better known" than recent species that we can study using genetics, molecular biology, observe their modes of behaviour, reproduction etc. Thank you for your thoughts! Tom

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Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email:Âtholtz@umd.eduÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ Phone: 301-405-4084
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