Shoot a firework rocket ~ Winners!Make a forum zoo! |
| Welcome to The Round Table. We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| Extinct Animal Questions | |
|---|---|
| Topic Started: Nov 26 2013, 10:24 PM (193,321 Views) | |
| Incinerox | Jan 26 2016, 11:31 PM Post #2596 |
![]()
Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti
![]()
|
AMNH 680. Definite A. fragilis at 9.7m. Its on wikipedia. Most of the answers to your questions are. |
![]() |
|
| CyborgIguana | Jan 27 2016, 12:03 AM Post #2597 |
![]() ![]()
|
Just something that's been nagging at me slightly for a while. Why is it that fossil trackways are often so distorted-looking? A good example I can think up off-hand is the one landing pterosaur trackway we have. The first two hind prints look odd to me (the toes are unusually long on the right print and the left one is bent at a weird angle) but the rest appear pretty normal. I initially chalked it down to rain, wind and erosion, but you'd think ALL the tracks would've been affected by that.
Edited by CyborgIguana, Jan 27 2016, 12:07 AM.
|
![]() |
|
| Stan The Man | Jan 27 2016, 01:14 AM Post #2598 |
![]()
Honorary Party Member
![]()
|
Well concerning the right print, I have a book which shows a diagram of how a footprint can appear unusually elongated if the foot drags along some mud when the perpetrator raises its limb. |
![]() |
|
| Incinerox | Jan 27 2016, 12:18 PM Post #2599 |
![]()
Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti
![]()
|
It can be a combination of many things, ranging from the animal's own movement, to the substrate, to weather, other animal tracks. If I'm not mistaken, the track you refer to was an instance where a landing pterosaur had to take an extra hop to get its footing right during touchdown. Having the claws of one foot drag along the ground at this point could easily bring about that illusion of elongate toes. You see similar scuff marks in running theropod tracks. |
![]() |
|
| CyborgIguana | Jan 27 2016, 12:41 PM Post #2600 |
![]() ![]()
|
Ah, that explains a lot. Thanks.
|
![]() |
|
| BossMan, Jake | Jan 27 2016, 03:48 PM Post #2601 |
|
Son of God
![]()
|
Which dinosaurs (minus Edmontosaurus) have been proposed to be migratory? |
![]() |
|
| Burns | Jan 27 2016, 07:04 PM Post #2602 |
![]()
King of Lemurs
![]()
|
Wow. I don't come to this neck of the woods much ![]() I have a question about lemurs (my) heritage. What fossil or sub-fossil is considered the first lemur on Madagascar? Basically the one that rafted there. |
![]() |
|
| CyborgIguana | Jan 27 2016, 09:46 PM Post #2603 |
![]() ![]()
|
We know that lemuriforms reached the island sometime between 47 and 54 million years ago IIRC, but I don't think we have a definite fossil of "the first lemur on Madagascar" yet.
Edited by CyborgIguana, Jan 27 2016, 09:47 PM.
|
![]() |
|
| Incinerox | Jan 28 2016, 03:48 AM Post #2604 |
![]()
Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti
![]()
|
Pachyrhinosaurus. For the same reason. Many sauropods and hadrosaurs are thought to have returned to annual breeding grounds to lay eggs and raise young, before dispersing for the rest of the year. While not in any formal literature, personal speculation puts Stegosaurus as a strong candidate for migratory behaviour, given its dietary preference, harshly seasonal semi-arid world, and unusually elephantine, non-flexed hind limbs (not even sauropods show that degree of elephant-ness - rather than being an adaptation for weight bearing, it appears that it, as demonstrated by elephants and comparatively tiny TINY humans, is an adaptation for more ENERGY EFFICIENT walking, which would allow a large, nomadic animal to cover more ground for less effort, regardless of speed. In my mind, this suggests an animal that was constantly on the move, for whatever reason that may be.).
We don't have this kind of information yet. Hopefully we will one day. |
![]() |
|
| Acinonyx Jubatus | Jan 28 2016, 02:07 PM Post #2605 |
![]()
I AM THE UNSHRINKWRAPPER!
![]()
|
What do we know, or can we infer, about the soft tissue of Dicynodonts, especially the large ones? Did they have fur? Did or could lips have covered their beaks? And do we have any data on preferred habitat or behaviour?
Edited by Acinonyx Jubatus, Jan 28 2016, 02:08 PM.
|
![]() |
|
| Paleosaurus | Jan 28 2016, 02:30 PM Post #2606 |
![]() ![]()
|
I'm almost positive we don't have any dicynodont skin impressions but based on their phylogeny and that unpublished Estemmenosuchus skin impression I'd infer glabrous skin or hairy skin. I tend to picture fossorial dicynodonts as furry but it's entirely possible that they lacked it; in my opinion hair was a plesiomorphic character for therapsids though there really isn't any evidence either way. As for the lips, I don't think it's very plausible that they would cover the beak. Dicynodonts are frequently found in groups so the assumption seems to be that they were gregarious and possibly social. Lifestyles are harder to pinpoint, though a hippo-like lifestyle is popular. If I'm not wrong there's some morphological characters that contradict the hippo model. That being said I wouldn't be surprised to find out that Placerias or some of the other bigger dicynodonts were habitual waders; even if just for the thermoregulatory benefits. At least some smaller taxa like Diictodon are confirmed burrowers but not much else is known. Edited by Paleosaurus, Jan 28 2016, 02:34 PM.
|
![]() |
|
| Acinonyx Jubatus | Jan 28 2016, 04:25 PM Post #2607 |
![]()
I AM THE UNSHRINKWRAPPER!
![]()
|
Okay, but why not?
Edited by Acinonyx Jubatus, Jan 28 2016, 04:26 PM.
|
![]() |
|
| CyborgIguana | Jan 28 2016, 05:45 PM Post #2608 |
![]() ![]()
|
Well, are there any animals today that have beaks covered by lips? It would kind of make having a beak redundant IMO. |
![]() |
|
| Furka | Jan 28 2016, 06:11 PM Post #2609 |
![]() ![]()
|
Also, wouldn't a beak be quite unsuitable as "anchor" for muscles ? |
![]() |
|
| CyborgIguana | Jan 28 2016, 06:14 PM Post #2610 |
![]() ![]()
|
Pretty much what I was thinking. I mean, I guess tuataras have a beak-like projection at the tip of their jaws that's covered by lips, but it's nothing like the beak of a dicynodont.
Edited by CyborgIguana, Jan 28 2016, 06:15 PM.
|
![]() |
|
| 2 users reading this topic (2 Guests and 0 Anonymous) | |
| Go to Next Page | |
| « Previous Topic · Extinct Animals & Evolution · Next Topic » |

FAQ
Search
Members
Rules
Staff PM Box
Downloads
Pointies
Groups















