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Extinct Animal Questions
Topic Started: Nov 26 2013, 10:24 PM (193,357 Views)
Furka
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Well one of the two specimens you see IS a M. Meridionalis (the one with both tusks), it's the other one that I couldn't remember. Now that you mention it, it could have been an Elephas specimen, assuming the location is wrong, because I'm pretty sure it wasn't another Mammuthus species.
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babehunter1324
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Hmmm... Proboscid tusks do exhibit a very wide individual variety within one species. Not saying that you ain't right by any means, just that the tusks might not be enough to tell if it is one species or another.
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Luca9108
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Master of Dinosaurs

Is it possible that Spinosaurs could walk like this:
Posted Image
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Incinerox
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Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti

I don't think so, given that its COG is still way too far forward, and the the strain on its back and hind legs wouldn't be feasibly compensated for, even with the sail. It would also break the tail. Headden's sail model might just do the trick for that kind of posture - it moves the bulk of the neural spines and back muscles over the hips, and the shape of the sail might be better suited for holding the back up at that kind of angle (assuming it functions the same way as Deinocheirus's "hump").

Although that assumes Headden's model is correct, which it might be, but also might not be given the new data

Though I think, from a purely speculative perspective, that it'd be interesting if we learn that we've massively underestimated the length of the tail - a longer tail would be substantially heavier, and would move the COG further back towards the hips, making a bipedal posture (even a more typical theropod posture) more reasonable, and would serve as a more effective means of aquatic propulsion. It's not like we've got a complete caudal series.
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stargatedalek
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I'm not slow! That's just my moe!

Am I the only one who thinks its weird that the spines nearer the head suggest a ridge and the ones over the hips suggest a hump?
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CyborgIguana
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Could suggest a ridge that got progressively wider near the back. ;)

It could also just be due to the fact that, IIRC, Ibrahim collected his data on Spinosaurus's skeletal appearance from several different specimens.
Edited by CyborgIguana, Sep 8 2015, 04:10 PM.
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Stan The Man
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Speaking of Spinosaurus, an argument I've seen a few times is that the leg bones weren't scaled properly with the rest of its known remains, that I think are from an older individual or two, and said people have seen the pre-publication photos for the new remains. Could these statements hold any serious validity?
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CyborgIguana
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I answered that exact question on the last page (in response to Paleodude). Yes, Spinosaurus actually did have legs that small in real life.
Edited by CyborgIguana, Sep 9 2015, 10:17 PM.
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Furka
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Is there a general consensus on Postosuchus locomotion ?
What's more likely, a quadrupedal with ocasional bipedal stance or a habitual biped ?
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Incinerox
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Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti

It's leaning more in favour of full biped these days.

Wikipedia
 
In 2013, a major study of the skeletal structure concluded that Postosuchus may have been an obligate biped based on evidence from the anatomy of the digits, vertebrae, and pelvis. The proportions of the limbs and weight-bearing sections of the spine were very similar to many theropod dinosaurs, nearly all of which are thought to have been strictly bipedal.
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Furka
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So, if bipedal was the case, what purpose would his "arms" have ? From a first look they don't seem adapted to grab preys ... perhaps it could still hold a quadrupedal stand on occasion ?
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SamtheMan
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@Incinerox That sounds exciting, I didn't know about that! Has this behavior only been attributed to Postosuchus or is it speculated that other rauisuchids and perhaps even prestosuchids like Saurosuchus could have been full bipeds as well? Carnufex and Poposaurus definitely don't seem quite so odd to me anymore!

@Furka Not sure, perhaps for balance? To be fair though, that question would seem really back-handed to something like Carnotaurus!
Edited by SamtheMan, Sep 11 2015, 04:38 PM.
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Incinerox
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Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti

From what I can tell, there's a bit of variation in how they moved. Poposaurids were confirmed bipeds, but Saurosuchus and Prestosuchus are confirmed quadrupeds. As far as I'm aware anyway, the other Paracrocodylomorphs haven't been fully tested. Though we have enough to say that quadrupedalism was the basal condition and that bipedal movement was a convergently evolving thing between Poposaurids and Rauisuchids like Postosuchus.
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Fireplume
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Snok Snok Snerson

Would Appalachia have critters similar to Edmontonia/Denversaurus? I know there's not really anything disproving or proving this fact, but just wondering.
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SamtheMan
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Propanoplosaurus was a nodosaur found in Maryland during the early Cretaceous, but that would've been while eastern and western North America weren't divided.

As for Appalachia during the late Cretaceous, I recall that we have found quite a few nodosaur scutes, enough to suggest that they were comparatively more common there than in Laramidia but not enough fossils to name a genus or a species just yet.
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