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 (193,426 Views)
Incinerox
Member Avatar
Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti

SO MANY QUESTIONS! Hold onto your butts everyone, this post's a big one.

Paleop
Jan 27 2015, 09:59 PM
Speaking of T rex, what areas are considered feathered, cause I heard scales were on it's legs and tail
1.I have also heard about sauroloaphus having a striped tail (I believe Philly's projects)
are there any other skin or possible color revealing fossils?(from hadrosaurs)
2.here was dimorphism between bull and (3.) T. rex how great would it be? and would One be built proportionally bulkier?
3.what are a female t rex, and a 'pack' of t rex called?
4.would it be likely large theropods would have build ground nests out of logs and smaller branches?(think big bird nest)
5.since t rex got rid of waste like a bird would it have had to mark It's terotory by leaving scratches on trees?
6.what ZT2 biomes (including RR) are applicable to Maastrichian North America?
7.are all of the zt2 dinosaurs under sized in proportion to their real life counterparts? t rex looks about the right size and kentro looks oversized( I thought it might be an interesting question since it applies both to ZT2 and paleontology)


1) Depends on the species. The Asian species, S. angustirostris seemed to have stripes on its flanks and tail, based off the arrangement of its scales. Canadian S. osborni was spotted. As for other coloured hadrosaurs, based off this same logic, apparently Corythosaurus had a collar stripe, Parasaurolophus was boring and plain, while Edmontosaurus was what can only be described as an absolute clusterf***. But as for actual colours, we don't know anything at all for hadrosaurs. Only patterns based on scale arrangements.

2) We don't have a clue. And probably won't for a very long time. We're still trying to find enough data to actually establish which specimens are male and which are female. There's only one specimen IIRC that actually has that confirmation, and it's NOT Sue. It was a female that was one of the mid-sized adults I believe. But it's very likely that bulkiness was a temporal and geographical factor as well, so there's currently studies on those if I'm correct.

3) We don't have an actual term for male and female T. rex. "Bull" T. rex was an arbitrary term created for the purpose of Jurassic Park 2. And the guy who called it that was a big game hunter that'd normally deal with large modern species like elephants and buffalo.

4) Dirt. Mounds of dirt is what you'd be going for. Whether or not they were hollowed out, I'm not sure. But hadrosaurs and maniraptoran nests demonstrate hollowed out crater type nests, so I'd run with that.

5) It probably did several things. Bird poop still smells, and carnivore poop REALLY smells. It may have done a combination of several things including actively marking its territory with its excrement, scratching trees, and roaring (whether or not they could "roar" is still a huge topic of debate in itself).

6) It's hard to say in terms of modern biomes. Climatewise, it was subtropical. In terms of plant life, it was mostly deciduous. Beech forests mostly, with buckthorns, fern shrubs and dawn redwoods. ZT2 doesn't really have appropriate analogies for most Mesozoic ecosystems.

7) I'll have to double check, but the general trend is that the large species in ZT2 are way UNDER sized (including T. rex) and the smaller animals are seriously OVERsized (Protarchaeopteryx is MASSIVE compared what it should be in the real world).

AVCDPS
Jan 27 2015, 09:26 PM
What's the possibility that Tyrannosaurs congregated in leks and attracted mates their by strutting and inflating air sacks and their esophagus with air like a sage grouse.


Low. Very. Low.

From what we can gather, tyrannosaurs were prone to intraspecific combat based on fossil scarring on their snouts and jaws from face biting (that said, some of these specimens were re-diagnosed with a parasite akin to some that birds get in their jaws and throats today which cause lesions on the bones and irritate the throat). But it seems that they were more likely to skip dancing and engage in more standard aggressive territorial disputes. Sage grouse like air sacs woulda been torn to shreds in minutes.

Ground birds of today are very poor analogies for a giant, aggressive carnivorous theropod.

Paleop
Jan 27 2015, 06:02 PM
What I meant by color changing was generalized but you brought up good points

what I had in mind was a bit more like changing from one color to another but limited to those 2 colors brown to green
( I got that idea from anoles but I don't know if it is a misconception if anoles change color.

could some dinos possibly have..
1.Sprayed like a skunk
2.played possum
3.acted injured like a killdeer
4.gained toxins in their filaments through what they eat (I heard some birds are poisonous because of this )
5.mimiced others (idea from Dinosaur Island 2015/2014 I recommend the trailer, fluffy t rex ftw!)
6.hung around larger dinosaurs like sharks and remora (tiny predators and large predators)
7.Pronged like a gazelle
8.also do you think Tyrannosaurs could have courted potential mates with gifts such as logs or kills
9.or danced (not like a manikin bird)


I see. I personally think that kind of colour change is unlikely, given that its not observed in modern reptiles outside the squamates. Anywho:

1) Unlikely. Spraying like that comes from modified sweat glands. A distinctly mammalian feature. There coulda been alternatives, like regurgitating foul smelling fluid, or pooping, or just being naturally gassy like Hoatzins. But not like skunks.
2) This is not possible to observe in the fossil record. I'd wager against it on the basis that carnivorous archosaurs tend to be less fussy with what they eat, so an animal playing dead would probably be snapped up anyway.
3) Again, not observable, but far more reasonable since we DO observe this kind of behaviour in modern birds.
4) You speak of the Pitohui. It's an extremely rare adaptation. It's the only known bird that actually does this. But I suppose it's not IMPOSSIBLE for a dinosaur to do something similar. But I'd wager against it.
5) Yeah why not? I don't know how it'd be put into practice among dinosaurs though. Mimicry usually involves a harmless animal pretending to be something more dangerous or bad-tasting to predators. So a lot of this principle depends on concepts like 3) happening as well.
6) This actually DID happen. WWD actually cited this with their Polacanthus-Iguanodon associations. They did the same again with Othnielia-Stegosaurus interactions, but I'm not sure how well founded THAT is. But it's totally reasonable to assume smaller species sought shelter among herds of larger species. It's easy to imagine a flock of gliding microraptor-like animals perching on the back of a sauropod.
7) Pronged?
8) It's a reasonable suggestion.
9) This is not a reasonable suggestion.

SamtheMan
Jan 27 2015, 04:23 PM
I thought I'd ask a few things as well while we're still on the topic of arboreal dromaeosaurids.

1. It seems pretty conclusive that smaller species like Microraptor were arboreal, but what is the consensus on mid-sized to larger species? As was mentioned before, it seems that the larger ones (Utahraptor, etc.) would nest on the ground but couldn't young ones climb trees? Couldn't the adults climb as well if there was motivation to do so (like how adult lions can climb trees if the trees are large enough and if there a kill stashed by a leopard in the lower branches)? As for the mid-sized ones like Acheroraptor and Balaur, could they climb and nest in trees if the trees were large enough?

2. Since they have sickle-claws as well, do we know if Troodontids like Troodon could climb and nest in trees that were large enough?

Thanks again!


1) We have nothing on juvenile large raptors. Actually, that's a lie. Deinonychus and Utahraptor juveniles seemed to have taken part in feeding frenzies (whether or not they're actually co-ordinated is a matter of debate still; I personally favour at least SOME degree of cooperation for reasons I've probably explained earlier in this topic or elsewhere). So they'd have to at least joined their older, larger brethren on the ground during a hunt. Larger species probably weren't habitually aboreal, but yeah, I suppose a Deinonychus could climb a tree with enough motivation. But Utahraptor? Probably not. Same weight as a polar bear, more awkward limbs and generally more voluminous body woulda made climbing trees for a Utahraptor VERY difficult.

2) Their claws were far less developed, and I personally think they used them to kick smaller prey items to death. They were more built for a cursorial lifestyle than their dromaeosaurid relatives anyway. They probably spent less time in trees than similar sized dromaeosaurids anyway. And I think we have fossil evidence of these guys nesting on the ground anyway.

CyborgIguana
Jan 27 2015, 10:04 PM
I personally go for a brightly coloured face and a dance.


I'd settle with something a bit more reflective of their large body size that seems to be perfect for brawling, combined with regular evidence among tyrannosaurids of face biting and cannibalism. Squaring off, assessing each other's size and strength by intimidation, roaring etc. Two evenly matched opponents brawl until one gives up or is killed (and often eaten, as fossils suggest).

The standard go-to option for large carnivores across all clades.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Jules
Member Avatar
Mihi est imperare orbi universo

The fact is that a lek of Tyrannosaurus would exhaust the available prey at incredible speed.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
babehunter1324
No Avatar


Guys, I know answering question of dinosaurs is interesting and all...
But did someone even notice my question on which was the largest Dimetrodon species?

Seriously I would want to know, don't let one of our biggest complains about "mainstream paleontological knowledge" affect us as well, let's give some credit to Synapsids :P

And yeah I know that my ealy answer to Sam question probably had something to do with few members noticing my own question...
Edited by babehunter1324, Jan 28 2015, 04:42 AM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
SamtheMan
No Avatar


@babehunter1324 To be honest, I was hoping someone more knowledgeable about Dimetrodon species than me could provide an answer, especially since I didn't find out much more than you did. As you mentioned, most sites switch between D. angelensis and D. grandis as the largest with the highest estimates I found being at 5 meters and 300kg.

I completely understand your irritation about looking for info on prehistoric animals that aren't dinosaurs or ice agemegafauna (with some exceptions). It can be quite a struggle for me to find decent info or even a drawing of extinct giraffids or indricotheres!

As for the lack of people answering, I wouldn't worry too much. Perhaps some are trying to find out more than we did or they could have lost track with the amount that came afterwards.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Incinerox
Member Avatar
Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti

I have found trying to get information on Dimetrodon at a species level to be very troublesome.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
babehunter1324
No Avatar


Incinerox
Jan 28 2015, 10:17 AM
I have found trying to get information on Dimetrodon at a species level to be very troublesome.
Totally agree.
There seems to be a lot of species that are probably invalid.
That said it is rather mind-blowing that the genus lasted for about 20 Millions of Years and it is pretty safe to assume that a lot of variations appeared throught that period.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Mathius Tyra
Member Avatar
Rat snake is love... Rat snake is life

I am curious about Eotriceratops. Is it now classed as Triceratops or still a different genus?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
CyborgIguana
Member Avatar


It's still a separate genus AFAIK. ;)

@Incinerox: The "bright face and dancing" comment was actually by Dilophoraptor, not me. :P
Edited by CyborgIguana, Jan 28 2015, 01:45 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Incinerox
Member Avatar
Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti

Oh.

Either way, that's still my response to it. Don't care who said it.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Paleop
Member Avatar
Paleopterix

just thought of this but what if spinosaurus caught extra fish and hid them to consume during the dry season? is it plausible?

Pronged: jumped straight up while running, like a gazelle

Edited by Paleop, Jan 28 2015, 04:31 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Furka
Member Avatar


Fish isn't something that lasts for long once it's dead, especially in a hot environment.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Paleop
Member Avatar
Paleopterix

well regardless of how well spino could smell, in that situation I bet the fish would have a stronger sence of smell xD

however, on a serious note, did spino have tarsal scutes?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Mathius Tyra
Member Avatar
Rat snake is love... Rat snake is life

I'm pretty sure that there was no harsh summer at North Africa back in time Spinosaurus lived. Spinosaurus used to live in the place that full with swamp and river which I doubt would dry up in summer so much that it bothered Spinosaurus or even if it did, the giant theropod would more likely to migrate down the river, into the more abundant area close to the sea more than storing food.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Taurotragus
Member Avatar


Could dromaeosaurs relay prey. As in a pony express type system, the first animal runs the prey to the second animal and the second animal continues the chase. This could be used to run down fast running ornithomimids and ornithopods.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Mathius Tyra
Member Avatar
Rat snake is love... Rat snake is life

Problem is Dromaeosaurs are not built for running... They are more likely to ambush and give up if prey get away before the raptor could catch it.

Troodontids, maybe... I can see a pair of Troodontid take turn chasing small curosial prey, maybe some kind of precocial baby dinosaur.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
3 users reading this topic (3 Guests and 0 Anonymous)
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Extinct Animals & Evolution · Next Topic »
Add Reply