Talk:Shonisaurus

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[edit] Weight estimates

I noticed this page had the weight estimate of S. sikanniensis at "100 tonnes [110 sh t] and more." This is actually quite consistent with a 40 tonne (44 short tons) estimates for 15 m (49 ft) long S. popularis, as with identical proportions a 21 m (69 ft) sikanniensis should weigh 110 tonnes (121 sh t). This would make sikanniensis the largest prehistoric animal yet found; much larger than the largest dinosaur, Argentinosaurus huinculensis, at 73 tonnes (80 sh t). However, I'm uncertain how official these weights are, as I've seldom seen any estimates given. A 21 m Blue Whale Balaenoptera musculus weighs considerably less than 100 tonnes, cirka 60–65 in fact, but the reconstructions of Shonisaurus indeed give an appearance of a distinctively more robust animal. Note that while this article is titled Shonisaurus popularis it's, in fact, clearly about the Shonisaurus genus. --Anshelm '77 (talk) 00:18, 6 December 2007 (UTC)