[aruanan]

This might explain the ability of the megafauna to breathe through long passages from nostril to lungs (40ft!) but hyperbariatric oxygen studies don’t seem to show any benefit for strength enhancement but do show greater stamina of the muscles for extended exertion.

Yes, but these studies are done on animals that are already adapted to a low O2 environment. What if the number of mitochondria were proportional to the O2 content? This would provide for much more ATP production per unit of tissue mass. Of course, their food intake had to be huge.

[Swordmaker]

Good point. I wonder what they might find in the T.Rex soft tissue they have found. Could be very interesting.

I was contemplating the implication of attenuated gravity and the reaction times of megafauna which has implications on the ability of muscles to move quickly. If the gravity acceleration is only three meters per second per second instead of today’s ten, then reaction times can be slower, muscle movement can be slower to prevent falling, which has been a problem when considering the slow propogation of nerve impulses over exceedingly long nerve pathways in megafauna. Lower gravity allows for slower reaction times without increased opportunity for disaster. Running and walking are essentially controlled falls... and muscles adapted to slower required reaction times would not need to move as quickly to counter that controlled fall. Hmmmm. Slow motion might be in the cards as well.

The problems of Teratorn flight also go away with the attenuated Gravity and slower fall times, but of course, that is the point.