GEOL 305 Study Guide - Final Guide: Dinos, Theropoda, Digitigrade

• School: University of Oregon
• Department: Earth Sciences
• Course: GEOL 305
• Professor: Baxter

Document Summary

: weight proportion of predators to prey, or predator: prey biomass ratios, would be indicative of whether the predators were endothermic or not. He calculated that predator: prey biomass ratios for modern ectotherms is 40%, while that ratio in modern endothermic organisms is 1-3%. He then counted the number of specimens of predators and presumed prey in museums, and estimated the specimens" living weights. His results gave dinosaurs a predator: prey biomass ratio of 2-4%. Assuming an order of magnitude difference between all endothermic and ectothermic predator: prey biomass ratios is not fully supported. Most significantly he assumed in his calculations that all the specimens of prey animals in the museums died due to predation instead of other circumstances. Dinosaur distribution compared to modern distribution for crocodiles and snakes: the distribution of dinosaurs around the globe is much greater than that of modern ectothermic vertebrates, most of which are within 45 north and south of the equator.