Communications of the ACM
sing Computers, Scientists Simulate Movement of Largest-Known Dinosaur
Credit: Read, Write & Brew
British and Argentinian researchers have developed computer simulations that examine how and whether the Argentinosauraus, the largest known dinosaur, could have roamed the South American landscape more than 90 million years ago. Given its average weight of 80 tons and average length of 100 feet, scientists have long wondered about how it physically could have moved such a massive frame. That uncertainty has persisted because only a handful of vertebrae, ribs, and leg fossils have been found.
"It is frustrating there was so little of the original dinosaur fossilized, making any reconstruction difficult," says University of Manchester researcher Phil Manning. However, the researchers used a laser scanner to create a detailed three-dimensional image of the dinosaur. They also used computer-modeling software to reconstruct how the dinosaur moved along the ground, taking into account body mass, muscle size, shape, and bone structure.
Based on their simulations, University of Manchester professor Bill Sellers says, "There's nothing mechanically that would stop you having an 80-ton dinosaur built like this."
From The Washington Post
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