학술논문

Scaling in Theropod Dinosaurs: Femoral Bone Strength and Locomotion
Document Type
Journal Articles
Reports - Evaluative
Author
Source
Physics Teacher. Feb 2015 53(2):84-86.
Subject
Scaling
Science Instruction
Physics
Paleontology
Animals
Motion
Geometric Concepts
Language
English
ISSN
0031-921X
Abstract
In our first article on scaling in theropod dinosaurs, the longitudinal stress in the leg bones due to supporting the weight of the animal was studied and found not to control the dimensions of the femur. As a continuation of our study of elasticity in dinosaur bones, we now examine the transverse stress in the femur due to locomotion and find that this effect is important for the geometry of the bone. We find that larger theropods (including "Tyrannosaurus rex") were less athletic than smaller theropods.