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(06-01-2022, 10:15 AM)LonePredator Wrote: If you use the Van Valkenburgh formula to estimate Lions then the weight will be a huge underestimation, if you estimate Tiger, it will still be a big underestimation and if you estimate Smilodon Populator then it will be a big overestimation.
Actually it will be a gross overestimation, and here is an example, using the biggest CBL from the Panthera cats, taken by scientists, here you can see the weights calculated (in red) and at the right the maximum weights actually recorded (in blue):
Formula use: log mass = 3.11 * log CBL - 5.38 - Van Valkeburgh (1990) - only felids.
Tiger - 342 mm. = 316.8 kg (Est.) ---- 260 kg (Real)
Lion - 355 mm. = 355.8 kg (Est.) ---- 250 kg (Real)
Jaguar - 280 mm. = 170.1 kg (Est.) ---- 148 kg (Real)
Leopard - 256 mm. = 128.7 kg (Est.) ---- 96 kg (Real)
Snow leopard - 174 mm. = 38.7 kg (Est.) ---- 52 kg (Real)
Now we can see why thise formula is not reliable, not with Panthera cats at least.
would using the van vaulkenburg formula on populator skulls create huge overestimations as well, also i think a way to get an exact weight for the biggest populators is to scale it up from the skull of bonaerensis 46, as the entire skeleton of bonaernesis 46 managed to get completely preserved, although its just my opinion and i dont really know to much so idk