Re: new Godzilla 2014-biomechanical problems?

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@umd.edu>]

On Sun, December 15, 2013 1:35 am, Hammer wrote:
>
>
> There is supposedly 2 other "monsters" in the film - are we finally going
> to get our radioactive mutant carnivorous sauropod?  :-)

The word I have is MULTIPLE other giant monsters: some merely sauropod
sized, others scaling up to Godzilla.

> Will there be an up-to-date "Rodan" pterosaur with a penchant for
> cetaceans on its menu?

No. The word I have heard is that all of the other monsters are original
to this movie, and that there are ZERO plans to reintroduce monsters from
the Japanese movies.

> As experts, what physical problems would you see for a beastie this large
> being able to support its own weight, etc.? (I won't press you on the
> radioactive "fire" breath)  :-)
>
Mike Taylor has something to say about that. But basically, you are way
beyond the mechanical strength of bone, muscle, flesh, cartilage, etc.
when you start building skyscraper-sized tetrapods.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email: tholtz@umd.edu   Phone: 301-405-4084
Office: Centreville 1216
Senior Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology
Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
Fax: 301-314-9661

Faculty Director, Science & Global Change Program, College Park Scholars
http://www.geol.umd.edu/sgc
Fax: 301-314-9843

Mailing Address:        Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                        Department of Geology
                        Building 237, Room 1117
                        University of Maryland
                        College Park, MD 20742 USA