By: Shirley Huang
Dinosaurs are cool, aren’t they? I think so. Since dinosaurs died 66 million years ago, archaeologist use fossils to determine T.rex’s features. We used to think that T.rex weighed 15 tonnes and measured 15 meters, but now scientists estimate that it might have been 70% heavier and 25% longer. Woah!
Archaeologists used to use fossils to predict how big T.rex is, but now more technology is coming in. Now, we use computer modeling to assess a population of T.rex. The model is based on examples of living alligators, chosen because of their size and their relationship with dinosaurs.
Dr. George and Marilyn at the Museum of Nature in Ottawa, Canada worked on this project. He said that we almost have no clue how big the T-Rex actually was from the fossil record, but it is fun to think that about a 15 ton T-Rex because of its size.
I’m going to agree with a bigger T-Rex, but I think using relationships with alligators isn’t really good. I learned from my science class that dinosaurs have a really close relationship with birds so why don’t they use birds to do the experiment? Well, it seems that alligators are bigger. They both evolved from the same dinosaur so if we use both of them and compare and contrast then it would be better. But why use alligators to measure the T-Rex? They don’t evolve from the T-Rex!
AI could help us with a lot more things. I hope everything gets more accurate!
Image Credit by Dieter Hafen