Dinosaurs: what to predict?

When looking at the relationship between variables, you can plot either variable on the x- or y-axis. By convention, the variable of interest (the one you want to predict based on the other variable) is placed on the y-axis. In the exercises of this chapter, you'll be a paleontologist that's excavating dinosaur fossils. In particular, you're researching data on the relationship between a dinosaur's femur (thigh bone) length in mm and its mass in kg. Before plotting, think about which variable would be useful to predict and will end up on the y-axis.