[dinosaur] Titanosaur size and restoring volume and mass of extinct animals (free pdf)

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Ben Creisler
[email protected]

Passing on this item from Greg Paul, who has generously made it available
for free.
The Annals of Carnegie Museum 85(4)  issue (and the paper containing it) is
not yet officially posted online so I don't have a DOI number.



Gregory Paul (2019)
Determining the largest known land animal: A critical comparison of
differing methods for restoring the volume and mass of extinct animals.
Annals of Carnegie Museum 85(4): 335-358.
gspauldino.com/Titanomass.pdf


Recent claims regarding what is and is not the largest known sauropod
dinosaur are tested via dimensional comparisons of the most critical
metrics of relative size--especially, when possible, the functional lengths
of the dorsal vertebral centra and the articulated length of the combined
trunk vertebrae--and analog volumetric models based on technical skeletal
restorations. The Cretaceous Argentinosaurus massed 65-75 tonnes, and its
dorsal vertebrae and dorsal-sacral series are much larger than those of any
other described titanosaur. Specimens of Patagotitan indicate a 50-55 tonne
titanosaur, and the less complete Notocolossus, Puertasaurus, and
'Antarctosaurus' giganteus appear to have occupied a similar size range.
Paralititan weighed between 30 and 55 tonnes. The juvenile Dreadnoughtus,
as well as Futalognkosaurus and Alamosaurus, were in the area of 30 tonnes,
with the possibility that the last was substantially larger. Entirely
analog, skillfully produced, high-anatomical-fidelity skeletal restorations
and volumetric models representing a prime-lean condition are approximately
as scientifically objective and accurate as, as well as more realistic
than, analog-digital, crudely-formed convex hull volumetric models, which
are based on subjectively and often inconsistently or erroneously mounted
skeletons and digitized skeletal reconstructions. The need to ensure that
skeletal restorations are as anatomically correct and consistent as the
data allow is stressed, which requires that researchers and illustrators be
sufficiently skilled in animal and especially dinosaur anatomy, and the
procedures and standards for achieving the best possible results are
detailed. When properly executed, analog and digital volumetric models
produce adequately similar results that can be used to cross-check one
another, and both produce accurate masses much more reliably than do
methods based on strength factors such as limb bone circumferences or
certain other skeletal dimensions that suffer from inherently very high
plus-minus factors.

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<div dir=3D"ltr">Ben Creisler<div><a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">bc=
[email protected]</a></div><div><br></div><div><div>Passing on this item fr=
om Greg Paul, who has generously made it available for free.<br></div><div>=
The=20=0A=0AAnnals of Carnegie Museum=0A=0A85(4) =C2=A0issue (and the paper=
 containing it) is not yet officially posted online so I don&#39;t have a D=
OI number.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br>Gregory Paul (2019) =
<br>Determining the largest known land animal: A critical comparison of dif=
fering methods for restoring the volume and mass of extinct animals. <br>An=
nals of Carnegie Museum 85(4): 335-358.<br><a href=3D"https://urldefense.pr=
oofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttp-3A__gspauldino.com_Titanomass.pdf&amp;d=3DDwMF=
aQ&amp;c=3DclK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&amp;r=3DRy_mO4IFaUmG=
of_Yl9MyZgecRCKHn5g4z1CYJgFW9SI&amp;m=3DNZHJtWHMTTV4fC3b8ExbpALGZJUQdRg67Ox=
j7ZzdsgY&amp;s=3DUJaFnRnF0CxANhqZahO2NQz3JFGUFDnZyS_vcUBIDMY&amp;e=3D">gspa=
uldino.com/Titanomass.pdf</a></div><div><br><br>Recent claims regarding wha=
t is and is not the largest known sauropod dinosaur are tested via dimensio=
nal comparisons of the most critical metrics of relative size--especially, =
when possible, the functional lengths of the dorsal vertebral centra and th=
e articulated length of the combined trunk vertebrae--and analog volumetric=
 models based on technical skeletal restorations. The Cretaceous Argentinos=
aurus massed 65-75 tonnes, and its dorsal vertebrae and dorsal-sacral serie=
s are much larger than those of any other described titanosaur. Specimens o=
f Patagotitan indicate a 50-55 tonne titanosaur, and the less complete Noto=
colossus, Puertasaurus, and &#39;Antarctosaurus&#39; giganteus appear to ha=
ve occupied a similar size range. Paralititan weighed between 30 and 55 ton=
nes. The juvenile Dreadnoughtus, as well as Futalognkosaurus and Alamosauru=
s, were in the area of 30 tonnes, with the possibility that the last was su=
bstantially larger. Entirely analog, skillfully produced, high-anatomical-f=
idelity skeletal restorations and volumetric models representing a prime-le=
an condition are approximately as scientifically objective and accurate as,=
 as well as more realistic than, analog-digital, crudely-formed convex hull=
 volumetric models, which are based on subjectively and often inconsistentl=
y or erroneously mounted skeletons and digitized skeletal reconstructions. =
The need to ensure that skeletal restorations are as anatomically correct a=
nd consistent as the data allow is stressed, which requires that researcher=
s and illustrators be sufficiently skilled in animal and especially dinosau=
r anatomy, and the procedures and standards for achieving the best possible=
 results are detailed. When properly executed, analog and digital volumetri=
c models produce adequately similar results that can be used to cross-check=
 one another, and both produce accurate masses much more reliably than do m=
ethods based on strength factors such as limb bone circumferences or certai=
n other skeletal dimensions that suffer from inherently very high plus-minu=
s factors.=C2=A0<br></div></div></div>=0A=

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