Dinosaur question -- Was Earth's gravity lower in the past?

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter GregM
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Gravity
GregM
Messages
18
Reaction score
4
New poster has been reminded that links to peer-reviewed papers or mainstream textbooks are required in the technical PF forums.
Hello everyone,
I have researched about dinosaurs and pterosaurs and a theory by various authors claiming the only way to explain their great size is with ancient lower Earth gravity . If this is supported theory among scientists then the next question is: How could the Earth have lower gravity? One idea I've had is as the Earth cooled it also shrunk and therefore by the inverse square law the same mass would have stronger surface gravity. However it seems unlikely the Earth shrunk so much in 100 million years, also if the Earth was much larger in the past, wouldn't shrinking cause a massive speed up in spin rotation? The Earth may had very long days in the past.
Can it have happened this way? Or is there a better simpler theory of why the dinos got so large? Any links to acedemic debates and conclusions on this question?
Thanks
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I would look into the climate side of things. Temperature, O2 CO2 levels.
@jim mcnamara @BillTre very knowledgeable on this
 
GregM said:
I have researched about dinosaurs and pterosaurs and a theory by various authors claiming the only way to explain their great size is with ancient lower Earth gravity .
Do you have references for these claims?
 
GregM said:
I have researched about dinosaurs and pterosaurs and a theory by various authors claiming the only way to explain their great size is with ancient lower Earth gravity
Here of PF it is not acceptable to say "I read that ... " (or your "I have researched ... " . You have to provide specific citations from refereed journals otherwise we might just be discussing nonsense.
 
Thread closed for Moderation...
 
Thread will remain closed. @GregM -- check your PMs. You may start a new thread about this question if you can find links to peer-reviewed journal articles about your question.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: pinball1970, BillTre and jim mcnamara

Similar threads

  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
22K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • · Replies 41 ·
2
Replies
41
Views
5K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
3K
  • · Replies 41 ·
2
Replies
41
Views
6K
  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
6K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
12K
  • · Replies 33 ·
2
Replies
33
Views
6K