The True Size of Appalachiosaurus.

[Fullux]

I recently read that the only skeleton currently known of Appalachiosaurus was of a juvenile, and the adult animal was significantly bigger.

 

The juvenile skeleton was about 21 feet long, and the animal likely weighed 1,300 pounds.

 

This skeleton is about the size of a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex (using the "Jane" specimen for scale, BMRP 2002.4.1) and, this raises a question in my mind. Is it possible that Appalachiosaurus montgomeriensis would have attained adult sizes close to what we see in adult specimens of Tyrannosaurus rex? And as such, could we classify it as a megatheropod?

 

Of course there are several other factors in this, such as age, growth stages, and environmental pressure that the animal may have experienced in life.

[Troodon]

What I'll say about the holotype being a juvenile is that Carr et al.(2005) described it as a "may be a juvenile or subadult" so it's uncertain.
 

Here is a paper that compares Appalachiosaurus to Albertosaurus just using juvenile material and comes to the following conclusions: 

"Similarities in the skull construction of Appalachiosaurus and Albertosaurus suggest they are closely related species"

"However, based on the skull dimensions, Albertosaurus would have been stronger than that of Appalachiosaurus which is supported by the differences in bite force."

 

https://benthamopen.com/ABSTRACT/TOGEOJ-6-65

 

So to answer your questions, no with respect to T rex since Albertosaurus was about half its size.  However I believe Albertosaurus sarcophagus is considered a megatheropod, so it might be one if it reached the same size.  BTW Jane is a Nanotyrannus

[Fullux]

5 hours ago, Troodon said:

What I'll say about the holotype being a juvenile is that Carr et al.(2005) described it as a "may be a juvenile or subadult" so it's uncertain.
 

Here is a paper that compares Appalachiosaurus to Albertosaurus just using juvenile material and comes to the following conclusions: 

"Similarities in the skull construction of Appalachiosaurus and Albertosaurus suggest they are closely related species"

"However, based on the skull dimensions, Albertosaurus would have been stronger than that of Appalachiosaurus which is supported by the differences in bite force."

 

https://benthamopen.com/ABSTRACT/TOGEOJ-6-65

 

So to answer your questions, no with respect to T rex since Albertosaurus was about half its size.  However I believe Albertosaurus sarcophagus is considered a megatheropod, so it might be one if it reached the same size.  BTW Jane is a Nanotyrannus

Could Appalachiosaurus be placed in Albertosaurinae?

 

Also, didn't know Jane was a nano, thanks for clearing that up!

[Troodon]

1 hour ago, Fullux said:

Could Appalachiosaurus be placed in Albertosaurinae

No idea, will let the paleontologists decide when additional specimens are found and reasearched.  Its currently a tyrannosauroid so outside of Tyrannosauridae.  With new discoveries and reasearch it can change.