Re: [dinosaur] Maximum possible weight for a biped

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

Greetings,

Your timing is pretty good. John Hutchinson just published a paper today that addresses our limitations about understandingÂlimits of giant terrestrial animals:Âhttps://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/224/11/jeb217463/269062/The-evolutionary-biomechanics-of-locomotor

Box 3 of that paper discusses the uncertainties about determining the maximum sizes of terrestrial animals.

Note that some researchers have discussed that there might be ecological or physiological thresholdsÂwhich are reached before you reach maximum possible physical size, so that evolution might not be able to evolve animals at the maximum limits of flesh and bone.

On Tue, Jun 8, 2021 at 10:10 AM Poekilopleuron <dinosaurtom2015@seznam.cz> wrote:

Good day!

I'd like to ask if there are some thorough references regarding an interesting topic of maximum possible weight for biped animal - especially for the giant theropod dinosaurs. Estimates published in recent years vary greatly (and perhaps too much to be useful), e. g. from some 6400 to over 14 000 kg in Tyrannosaurus rex alone. Perhaps the more precise estimates in the range of 7000 to 9000 kg for large individuals like "Sue" or "Scotty" are pretty close to the limit weight? And when at it, what is the currently accepted value for the largest terrestrial quadruped (i. e. giant sauropods)? Still in the range of 120 to 140 tonnes? Any thoughts? Thank you in advance! Tom

--

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
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