Dinosaur gigantism and conservation of energy

Non-avian dinosaurs were amazing animals that continue to fascinate us. In this exercise, we explore the roles of energy conservation and anatomy in limiting the maximum size of most terrestrial animals and learn how the sauropod dinosaurs were able to bypass this limit to become the largest terrestrial animal that ever lived. This unique application of conservation of energy demonstrates the broad applicability of this foundational principle. Working on a problem about dinosaurs always excites students!