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What annoys you about paleontology?; Rant on about moronic theories, complaints, or just animals that annoy you.
Topic Started: Sep 28 2013, 05:04 PM (256,142 Views)
Incinerox
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Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti

Vulturine baldness is not related to probing carcasses.
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BossMan, Jake
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Son of God

Case in point the Bearded Vulture
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Posted Image Flish
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Incinerox
Jul 13 2016, 05:49 PM
Vulturine baldness is not related to probing carcasses.
Which makes the baldness concept even more confusing because Dromaeosaurs in general did not live in open environments like vultures. Velociraptor is the only exception I can think of off the top of my head, and it was nocturnal, so thermoregulation isn't exactly an extremely necessary trait for them. We don't see other ambush predators, birds or otherwise, with such extreme thermoregulatory traits. We pretty much only see this in vultures, all who live a life of flying in extremely exposed environments for long periods of time in search of food.
Edited by Flish, Jul 13 2016, 07:45 PM.
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Incinerox
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Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti

A case is to be made by the fact that most Old World vultures aren't even bald.

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Edited by Incinerox, Jul 13 2016, 08:37 PM.
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Furka
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BossMan, Jake
Jul 13 2016, 06:29 PM
Case in point the Bearded Vulture
Bearded vultures don't make a good example because they don't dive into carcasses, they feed on bones which usually don't have much meat left since they arrive after other scavengers at feeding grounds.

But on the subject of bald headed birds, what about the Marabou stork and other similar stork ? Do they also lack feathering on the neck because of insulation ?
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Mathius Tyra
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Rat snake is love... Rat snake is life

^I think they have something to do with display. At least it is in Greater Adjutant if I remember correctly...
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stargatedalek
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I'm not slow! That's just my moe!

Furka
 
But on the subject of bald headed birds, what about the Marabou stork and other similar stork ? Do they also lack feathering on the neck because of insulation ?
Given other birds occupy the exact same niche without bald heads there's no other explanation than that storks like marabou and wood storks use their bald heads for identification or display.

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heliosphoros
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Furka
Jul 14 2016, 06:21 AM
BossMan, Jake
Jul 13 2016, 06:29 PM
Case in point the Bearded Vulture
Bearded vultures don't make a good example because they don't dive into carcasses, they feed on bones which usually don't have much meat left since they arrive after other scavengers at feeding grounds.

But on the subject of bald headed birds, what about the Marabou stork and other similar stork ? Do they also lack feathering on the neck because of insulation ?

Many semi-aquatic stork species like jabirus are bald, so it's definitely not related to scavenging habits. Given the wooly feathers on marabou heads I'm assuming its a mxiture of thermoregulation and display.
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Imperator Furiosa
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Chaos Theory

I suppose it's overdue but Ancient Aliens is running an episode on Homo florensis. This is going to be so bad, they've already screwed up in the preview by saying the skeleton they have dates from 18 kya when recent analysis has pushed the date back to over 50 kya.
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PrimevalBrony
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Youtuber. Combat robotics fan

How underrated and forgotten Sinoceratops is. I mean come on, it's the first true ceratopsid from Asia, this was groundbreaking stuff, and what did it get? 0 media coverage and next to no artwork.
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BossAggron
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Formerly Dilophoraptor

PrimevalBrony
Jul 24 2016, 05:17 AM
How underrated and forgotten Sinoceratops is. I mean come on, it's the first true ceratopsid from Asia, this was groundbreaking stuff, and what did it get? 0 media coverage and next to no artwork.
This is why I chose to make it for ZT2, but even in the paleontological community I've not heard about many somewhat obscure genera in a general talk, I guess its just easier for everyone to stick to those that are more likely to stay as a tend.
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PrimevalBrony
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Youtuber. Combat robotics fan

I wish people would give the rare dinosaurs more attention. They can be so much more interesting than the all-stars, although some all-stars are still very interesting
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Paleodude
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ex-Krampus

There's usually a reason as to why "All Stars" are more well known than other obscure species and that's a lack of material. For example I'll use Sinoceratops. We know and describe Sinoceratops from 3 partial skulls which is typical of most advanced ceratopsian. Then compare that to Triceratops, a so called "All Star" from which we have multiple complete skulls, a good amount of post cranial content, and even fossils of young or teenage specimens. This allows us to say we know fairly confidently without estimates what Triceratop's skeletal anatomy looked like. Thus it's easier for popular media to imagine it and make it a popular dinosaur. There are other reasons as to why they are more popular but instead of complaining every other day then instead advocate for expeditions for new material of obscure species instead of new species. Right now the media cares more for a new species rather than new material on an old species.
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PrimevalBrony
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Youtuber. Combat robotics fan

Then why did the media not care back when Sinoceratops was brand new?
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Mathius Tyra
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Rat snake is love... Rat snake is life

Because majority of people will not gonna care about it anyway. It's hard for them to even know many species of living animals already especially if it's not their interest... You don't see a lot of people to know about Spur-winged goose, especially if they don't live in the area this bird is native to... And when they see one, they are gonna know it as "another goose" or just "goose". The same thing happens when people see other less well known Ceratopsians and they will just call it "Triceratops" or just "Another dino with horn".

Easy example is, go asking average people about WWD 3d and see if any of them would remember the name Pachyrhinosaurus...
Edited by Mathius Tyra, Jul 24 2016, 01:48 PM.
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