Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]






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:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Extinct Animal Questions
Topic Started: Nov 26 2013, 10:24 PM (193,280 Views)
stargatedalek
Member Avatar
I'm not slow! That's just my moe!

Incinerox
Jun 28 2016, 09:41 AM
Considering the size difference, and the ages of Stygi and Draco's specimens, "elderly" doesn't quite cut it.
I agree, but it's still an interesting concept.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
CyborgIguana
Member Avatar


I'm just throwing some speculations out there, not saying I'm likely to be right.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Acinonyx Jubatus
Member Avatar
I AM THE UNSHRINKWRAPPER!

Do we know anything about Anomalocaridid skin texture or structure?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
BossAggron
Member Avatar
Formerly Dilophoraptor

I don't know much on them but i'd expect something similar to crustaceans or other aquatic arthropods of some kind
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Acinonyx Jubatus
Member Avatar
I AM THE UNSHRINKWRAPPER!

BossAggron
Jun 28 2016, 08:58 PM
I don't know much on them but i'd expect something similar to crustaceans or other aquatic arthropods of some kind
I don't think they had exoskeletons, did they? I was thinking more like velvet worms.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Incinerox
Member Avatar
Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti

They're substantially more derived than velvet worms, and form the sister clade to Arthropoda. They fit snugly between multiple clades of invertebrate with chitinous dermal armour of some degree.

So that's what you'd see.

Think tardigrades, but MASSIVE.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
BossAggron
Member Avatar
Formerly Dilophoraptor

Acinonyx Jubatus
Jun 28 2016, 08:59 PM
BossAggron
Jun 28 2016, 08:58 PM
I don't know much on them but i'd expect something similar to crustaceans or other aquatic arthropods of some kind
I don't think they had exoskeletons, did they? I was thinking more like velvet worms.
I don't exactly know, though a lot of depictions have exoskeletons from what I can tell, not sure how up to date they are though.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Paleop
Member Avatar
Paleopterix

are there any North American therizinosaurs aside from Nothronychus graffami, Nothronychus mikinlii, falcarius, and the cantwell therizinosaur?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
TheNotFakeDK
Member Avatar
200% Authentic

Paleop
Jul 4 2016, 01:06 PM
are there any North American therizinosaurs aside from Nothronychus graffami, Nothronychus mikinlii, falcarius, and the cantwell therizinosaur?
There's also Martharaptor greenriverensis.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
BossAggron
Member Avatar
Formerly Dilophoraptor

When did Kneecaps first appear? Just a random fact my brain wanted to know.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Acinonyx Jubatus
Member Avatar
I AM THE UNSHRINKWRAPPER!

They appear to be basal to all living mammals, including Dryolestoids and Monotremes. (Notoryctes was reclassified as a Dryolestoid, right? I'm not imagining things?) I don't see them in skeletons of Cynodonts or basal Mammaliaformes, but it could be that they are poorly ossified and preserved (not surprising given the size of many such creatures.)

Changing the subject, I have a hypothesis. I know the Yixian formation, at least, was seasonally very cold and probably got a lot of snow. I assume that Tiaojishan was much the same, since the animal life was so similar. Would it be plausible that the funny foot-wings you see in small Maniraptors like Anchiornis be used as Snowshoes?

Also I think that, due to the HUGE preservation bias (100% of specimens found in sleeping posture!) Mei long hibernated in winter.
Edited by Acinonyx Jubatus, Jul 5 2016, 08:58 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
heliosphoros
Member Avatar


Tritylodontids at least seem to have them, so I assume they are an ancient mammaliaform condition.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
stargatedalek
Member Avatar
I'm not slow! That's just my moe!

Acinonyx Jubatus
Jul 5 2016, 08:44 PM
Changing the subject, I have a hypothesis. I know the Yixian formation, at least, was seasonally very cold and probably got a lot of snow. I assume that Tiaojishan was much the same, since the animal life was so similar. Would it be plausible that the funny foot-wings you see in small Maniraptors like Anchiornis be used as Snowshoes?

Also I think that, due to the HUGE preservation bias (100% of specimens found in sleeping posture!) Mei long hibernated in winter.
It got snow but it probably didn't have snowy winters like North America does. It got quite cold and most likely snowed on occasion but compared to modern America it would have been more like an extended fall.

As interesting as the idea is they don't extend nearly far enough to form functional snowshoes. These were also very light animals to begin with, (even large eagles several times heavier can hop along snow today and only sink minimally) so they probably didn't need them.

100% of two specimens is a huge preservation bias now? Or are there more specimens Wikipedia doesn't mention? You're also forgetting the chemistry of the rocks it was found in indicating they were asphyxiated and then quickly covered by volcanic ash. They may not even have been truly sleeping, but rather shielding themselves before being rendered unconscious by volcanic gases.
Edited by stargatedalek, Jul 6 2016, 01:06 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Acinonyx Jubatus
Member Avatar
I AM THE UNSHRINKWRAPPER!

stargatedalek
Jul 6 2016, 01:05 PM
Acinonyx Jubatus
Jul 5 2016, 08:44 PM
Changing the subject, I have a hypothesis. I know the Yixian formation, at least, was seasonally very cold and probably got a lot of snow. I assume that Tiaojishan was much the same, since the animal life was so similar. Would it be plausible that the funny foot-wings you see in small Maniraptors like Anchiornis be used as Snowshoes?

Also I think that, due to the HUGE preservation bias (100% of specimens found in sleeping posture!) Mei long hibernated in winter.
It got snow but it probably didn't have snowy winters like North America does. It got quite cold and most likely snowed on occasion but compared to modern America it would have been more like an extended fall.

As interesting as the idea is they don't extend nearly far enough to form functional snowshoes. These were also very light animals to begin with, (even large eagles several times heavier can hop along snow today and only sink minimally) so they probably didn't need them.

100% of two specimens is a huge preservation bias now? Or are there more specimens Wikipedia doesn't mention? You're also forgetting the chemistry of the rocks it was found in indicating they were asphyxiated and then quickly covered by volcanic ash. They may not even have been truly sleeping, but rather shielding themselves before being rendered unconscious by volcanic gases.
Well, darn. I thought I was on to something there. Oh well, thank you for pointing that out.

And I was joking about the preservation bias on the Mei thing.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
stargatedalek
Member Avatar
I'm not slow! That's just my moe!

Aah ok, I didn't catch on :P
I also don't trust Wikipedia completely.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
2 users reading this topic (2 Guests and 0 Anonymous)
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Extinct Animals & Evolution · Next Topic »
Add Reply