


Widely cited estimates for the mass of Apatosaurus louisae, one of the largest of the dinosaurs, may be double that of its actual mass (38 tonnes vs. 18 tonnes).

"Paleontologists have for 25 years used a published statistical model to estimate body weight of giant dinosaurs and other extraordinarily large in extinct lineages. By re-examining data in the original reference sample, we show that the is seriously flawed and that the giant dinosaurs probably were only about half as heavy as is generally believed" says Gary Packard from Colorado State University.

The new predictions have implications for numerous theories about the biology of , ranging from their energy metabolism to their food requirements and to their modes of locomotion.

Source: Wiley (news : web)

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Citation: Dino-not-so-soaring (2009, June 22) retrieved 2 April 2020 from https://phys.org/news/2009-06-dino-not-so-soaring.html

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