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Extinct Animal Questions
Topic Started: Nov 26 2013, 10:24 PM (193,258 Views)
Furka
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Kind of a weird question here, but in a chase through snow scenario, which dinosaur had the best body plan to move through faster, a theropod or a herbivore ?
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54godamora
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I'm sorry but I really need help and this is the only place I feel like I can ask prehistory questions. I asked it in the first place because all of the mentioned crocs have thick armor to protect from a venomous bite and are all the same size.

and if I do it again, I'll leave the round table forums...for good.
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stargatedalek
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I'm not slow! That's just my moe!

Furka
Oct 14 2016, 04:14 PM
Kind of a weird question here, but in a chase through snow scenario, which dinosaur had the best body plan to move through faster, a theropod or a herbivore ?
That would depend on how deep the snow is, and to what extent you're hoping to generalize "herbivore" and "theropod".

A quadruped is likely going to have an advantage in relatively shallow snow since they are more stable and have greater bulk that they can throw into their steps to clear the snow in part away before their back legs take the step whereas a biped might need to tread more carefully even in ankle deep snow to prevent tripping. Whereas in deep snow a biped may have the advantage of legs situated higher on its body making it easier to lift them out of deep snow to place the next step.
Edited by stargatedalek, Oct 14 2016, 04:25 PM.
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Incinerox
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Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti

Well, if we're talking about general efficiency in snow, large ceratopsians seem to be very well adapted for shunting things about (notably, each other). So in the same way bison, woolly rhinos and elephants would have shoveled their way through snow, ceratopsians probably could have done the same.

I suppose sauropods simply had size on their side. "Deep snow" having little to no meaning to them.

It's problematic once you consider a snowy "chase" scene, because suddenly you need an animal that can move fast in that environment, and truth be told, no dinosaur seems to be built to do that. Quadrupedal dinosaurs were comparatively slow (compared to say, modern deer and bison), and bipeds would have had to deal with balancing themselves on such dodgy terrain.

Hope that helps.
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Fireplume
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Snok Snok Snerson

One thing I know about snow is that a great deal of animals that live in it have furry/feathery feet, to further prevent themselves from sinking into said snow. I think it's totally plausible for a Dromaeosaurid or Troodontid to have feathery feet to actively run in snow.
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Incinerox
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That's a good point actually. Some of the smaller theropods may have been light enough to at least walk ON snow rather than sink 2/3rds of the way into whatever snowdrift got in the way.
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heliosphoros
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Polar fossils in general need more attention.
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BossAggron
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Formerly Dilophoraptor

What are some prehistoric organisms with spooky names?
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Jules
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Mihi est imperare orbi universo

BossAggron
Oct 16 2016, 11:45 AM
What are some prehistoric organisms with spooky names?
Scrotum humanum obviously.
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Acinonyx Jubatus
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I AM THE UNSHRINKWRAPPER!

BossAggron
Oct 16 2016, 11:45 AM
What are some prehistoric organisms with spooky names?
Eucritta melanolimnetes, Acheroraptor, Harpymimus, Kerberos, Ragnarok, Beelzebufo, Stygimoloch, Sordes, Yurlunggur, Dracorex, Balaur, Azhdarcho?
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Paleodude
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ex-Krampus

Acinonyx Jubatus
Oct 16 2016, 04:45 PM
BossAggron
Oct 16 2016, 11:45 AM
What are some prehistoric organisms with spooky names?
Eucritta melanolimnetes, Acheroraptor, Harpymimus, Kerberos, Ragnarok, Beelzebufo, Stygimoloch, Sordes, Yurlunggur, Dracorex, Balaur, Azhdarcho?
Surprised you didn't mention Lythronax, Diabloceratops, and Gorgosaurus.
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stargatedalek
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I'm not slow! That's just my moe!

Acinonyx Jubatus
Oct 16 2016, 04:45 PM
BossAggron
Oct 16 2016, 11:45 AM
What are some prehistoric organisms with spooky names?
Eucritta melanolimnetes, Acheroraptor, Harpymimus, Kerberos, Ragnarok, Beelzebufo, Stygimoloch, Sordes, Yurlunggur, Dracorex, Balaur, Azhdarcho?
Dracorex is only a truly horrifying name when you include its specific name, "hogwartsia", *shudders in utter contempt*.
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Incinerox
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Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti

Unfortunately, the spookiest name goes to the very modern Vampyroteuthis infernalis.
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heliosphoros
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Jugulator
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Acinonyx Jubatus
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I AM THE UNSHRINKWRAPPER!

What was the hunting style of Sabertooth Cats like?
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