How Could Dinosaurs Weigh Up to 80 Tons?

[Still Waters]

Sauropods, the largest land animals in Earth's history, are still mightily puzzling the scientists. These plant-eating dinosaurs with their long necks and small heads could reach a height of 10 meters or more and dominated all other land vertebrates in terms of size. They could weigh up to 80 tons, more than any other known land vertebrate. One question that has been intensely debated is how these giants of the animal kingdom regulated their own body temperature.

http://www.scienceda...40114090826.htm

[Lexie060812]

Maybe it was mostly muscle and bone structure that gave them their huge weight.

[toast]

Maybe it was mostly muscle and bone structure that gave them their huge weight.

This might be the correct answer if the question had been different to the question as published in the article.

[SHaYap]

there know enough of their own metabolism and body functions to do the right thing when the right is warrant it be done ~ like getting in the shade when its hot or just taking a dip in the river ... or take a sun bath when its cold ...

~

[RedSquirrel]

Please forgive and correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't the world much warmer during their reign?

Education has changed greatly since I was educated on Dinos, so consider me a fossil in education about this,.

If it were warmer and had different levels of oxygen, gigantism wouldn't be as much an issue, no?

EDIT: Wasn't there a theory about the dimetrodon (I hope I nailed the right one, a sail finned sauropod) using it's sail as a heat regulator?

Edited January 16, 2014 by RedSquirrel

[Lilly]

If it were warmer and had different levels of oxygen, gigantism wouldn't be as much an issue, no?

I recall hearing this explanation as well.

Hmmm...I wonder if an 80 ton dino stressed itself over having to weigh such a huge number?

[RedSquirrel]

I recall hearing this explanation as well.

Hmmm...I wonder if an 80 ton dino stressed itself over having to weigh such a huge number?

Does this possibility of feathers make me look fat?

Hehe.

I remember hearing the world was pretty regulated temperature wise, perhaps they didn't need it? I wish I had kept educating myself about the environment during the reign of these terrible lizards.

[SameerPrehistorica]

Sauropods weigh over 100 tonnes.