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Admin
Jun
25
SCIENCE SCANDAL: Dinosaurs Were Puny!
Filed Under Dinosaurs, Science News
Image Credit: mcdlttx
Just kidding, although that was basically the headline that the Daily Mail used on their article.
A new study published in the Journal of Zoology concludes that the model (or one model at least) previously used to estimate dinosaur weight was massively wrong. For instance, Apatosaurus has been estimated at up to 38 tons, but was actually only around 18 tons, according to this new research. So in reality what we’re talking about here is Dinosaurs probably being a fair bit skinnier than was generally believed.
From a purely artistic perspective (I’m involved Art Evolved, remember), this seems really interesting. Large Dinosaurs, especially Sauropods, have been portrayed as hugely bulky in the past. With this new research out, will we start to see a difference in artistic recreations?
I always thought Apatosaurus had been shown too fat in many old restorations. Though 18 tons is a bit too light for the largest individuals. I’d say around 22 tons might be a better estimate. As a general rule, Diplodocids were a good deal lighter than Brachiosaurs of similar length, which were themselves lighter than titanosaurs of similar length, based on a combination of body proportions, torso size, and pneumaticity.
The old paintings showed sauropods as great formless plodding lumps of flesh, whereas in fact they were a bit more elegant and slender than that. To some extent even Bakker’s fast-moving sauropods are too bulky, though Gregory Paul’s look just about right.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see artistic recreations of dinosaurs get leaner. A more accurate formula to estimate dino weight would answer a lot of questions about how they supported their bulk. The less weight to carry, the less food they’d need and the easier it would be for them to move.
I like that you separate fate from destiny. There is something to be said for trying to account for the idea that we can sometimes fail to fulfill our destiny.