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From: g-rh@cca.UUCP
Newsgroups: talk.origins,sci.bio
Subject: Re: Dinosaur Heresies
Message-ID: <14285@cca.CCA.COM>
Date: Wed, 25-Mar-87 06:36:25 EST
Article-I.D.: cca.14285
Posted: Wed Mar 25 06:36:25 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Mar-87 06:03:56 EST
References: <14011@cca.CCA.COM> <629@bcsaic.UUCP> <2877@voder.UUCP>
Reply-To: g-rh@CCA.UUCP (Richard Harter)
Organization: Computer Corp. of America, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 25
Xref: utgpu talk.origins:459 sci.bio:168

In article <2877@voder.UUCP> buyno@voder.UUCP (Matthew Buynoski) writes:
>
>	Kennneth Hsu in his book, the Great Dying, states that dinosaurs
>down to chicken size existed. That's fairly small. He also states something
>to the effect there were none (or none have been found) that were the size
>of things like mice. Mammals of that size are preserved from the same time,
>so there is fair confidence that such dinosaurs did not exist. Of course,
>something like very soft bone in the tiny dinos could always be postulated,
>but probably never proved.

	Quite so.  Although, to be accurate, small (mouse size) adult 
dinosaurs have not been found and presumably did not exist.  Very small
baby dinosaurs have been found.  I don't have a reference at hand but I
believe the low end size record is held by a baby parrot dinosaur which
was small enough to sit on a quarter.  What is more, its teeth already
showed signs of wear.  Does kind of make you wonder about the notion that
the dinosaur size limit was dictated by thermal considerations, doesn't it.

	Incidentally, could you post a review of Hsu's book.  I haven't
seen it, and it sounds like it is worth reading.


-- 

Richard Harter, SMDS Inc. [Disclaimers not permitted by company policy.]