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 (193,414 Views)
CyborgIguana
Member Avatar


Sorry about the double post (at least I had the decency to space them by roughly a day), but I remember either Darren Naish or Scott Hartmann (could've been both) at one point speculating that Yutyrannus might actually be an allosauroid. Does anyone else think this might actually be worth considering, or has it been discredited by now?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Incinerox
Member Avatar
Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti

What Naish did point out that there are some superficial similarities to carcharodontosaurids in the skull regarding the extra pneumatic holes along the crest, which were similar to Concavenator.

But it's place as an allosauroid has been discredited. It's teeth were enough to seal the tyrannosauroid deal alone.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
CyborgIguana
Member Avatar


Oh, that makes sense. Thanks.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Incinerox
Member Avatar
Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti

OK, I have a question:

So I have this:
Posted Image

I want to make it look interesting yet scientifically accurate.

Before anyone tells me to put feathers on it, I already intend to do so. I don't know how much feathering, which is mostly why I'm asking this question.

So... any ideas?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
babehunter1324
No Avatar


I think that the tail base a bit to thin. Since Megaraptorids seem to be very cursorial I would expect that they had some very developed Caudofemoralis muscles.

As for aestethics maybe you could add some extra decoration to the nech throat pouch?
Edited by babehunter1324, Mar 11 2015, 12:31 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Brach™
Member Avatar
hi

I'd inquire in to how it fit into it's habitat. They had to have had a specific niche given the proportions and those hands. Fish eating rings a bell but big hands and long legs don't specifically have to mean that. If it did rely on fish though then I'd go for the aesthetic most fishing birds use. Bald up to the knees, light body with dark markings around the eyes.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Incinerox
Member Avatar
Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti

Well, in terms of muscle mass, I think I got it right. The only known megaraptor tailbone(s) were fused together, probably as a result of an injury. Fossilisation distorted the transverse processes quite badly as well. On one side, they're angled quite normally, if a bit level. On the other, exactly the opposite direction:

Posted Image

I basically used the upward angled one, though not quite as upward to make up for the distortion in both it, the other side, and the neural spine. That seemed to be the reasonable option given what I saw in proceratosaurid skeletals.

Probably won't look as thin if I cover it in enough feathers. :P

As for its niche, I don't think it's an obligate fish eater. This wasn't built like contemporary unenlagiines (Neuquenraptor and Unenlagia). It was superficially more like a MASSIVE "compsognathid". I reckon it was probably taking on things like young Macrogryphosaurus, Futalognkosaurus eggs and young sauropodlets. Patagonykus if it was quick enough, maybe. Maybe even Neuquenraptor and Unenlagia themselves. I suppose if it had the reflexes or if climate conditions favoured it, fish probably were an option. I reckon it was probably like the area's theropod version of a leopard or monitor lizard. Small to medium game, anything it could grab whether it be ornithopod, another, smaller theropod, fish, turtles, lizards etc.
Edited by Incinerox, Mar 11 2015, 01:02 PM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Brach™
Member Avatar
hi

In that case I'm thinking just treat it's coat like that of other tyrannosauroids. Rely more on primitive fuzzy feathers instead of pennaceous. as for color I think something impressionistic/Krentz style that will break up it's outline. if it's like a leopard it's going to want to get as close as possible.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Furka
Member Avatar


Is it possible that some Xingezhuang Formation members could have been found in the Nemegt too ?
I don't think it's the case for Zhuchengtyrannus because Nemegt already has Tarbosaurus as the apex predator, but maybe a hadrosaur or Sinoceratops (IMO more likely due to absence of a species with a similar role in the environment) ?
That is, if the environment of the two formations was similar, which I don't know.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
babehunter1324
No Avatar


Both formations are separated by quite a big distance and might not be exactly from the same geological time. So I think that while it's possible it would be necessary to find more evidence to proof that they were there (similar deal with Alamosaurus on Hell Creek as discussed in the Saurian topic).

Here I'm hoping for a Saurolophus akwardly glancing at a Shantungosaurus while wondering "how the hell did that thing got so big?"
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Paleop
Member Avatar
Paleopterix

speaking of feathering...I need help figuring out plausible/ good feather distribution on a therizinosaur's head, any ideas?

if you are wondering on what species it is, its a hell creek specimen ;)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Incinerox
Member Avatar
Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti

We have material for Beipiaosaurus, which, as a more basal representative of the therizinosaur clade, is a good place to start as any:

Wikipedia
 
Skin impressions from the type specimen of B. inexpectus indicated that the body was covered predominately by downy feather-like fibers, similar to those of Sinosauropteryx, but longer, and are oriented perpendicular to the arm. Xu et al., who described the specimen, suggested that these downy feathers represent an intermediate stage between Sinosauropteryx and more advanced birds (Avialae).[1] The tail was covered in feathers between four and seven centimeters long, consisting of parallel filaments with a width of 1.5 millimeters, without a trace of pennaceous feathers or a tail fan.[4]

Unique among known theropods, Beipiaosaurus also possessed a secondary coat of much longer, simpler feathers that rose out of the down layer.[6] These unique feathers (known as EBFFs, or elongated broad filamentous feathers) were first described by Xu et al. in 2009, based on a specimen consisting of the torso, head and neck. Xu and his team also found EBFFs in the original type specimen of B. inexpectus, revealed by further preparation.

The EBFFs differ from other feather types in that they consist of a single, unbranched filament. Most other primitive feathered dinosaurs have down-like feathers made up of two or more filaments branching out from a common base or along a central shaft. The EBFFs of Beipiaosaurus are also much longer than other primitive feather types, measuring about 100-150 millimeters (4-6 inches) long, roughly half the length of the neck. In Sinosauropteryx, the longest feathers are only about 15% of the neck length.

The EBFFs of Beipiaosaurus are also unusually broad, up to 3 mm wide in the type specimen. The broadest feathers of Sinosauropteryx are only 0.2 mm wide, and only slightly wider in larger forms such as Dilong. Additionally, where most primitive feather types are circular in cross section, EBFFs appear to be oval-shaped.

None of the preserved EBFFs were curved or bent beyond a broad arc in either specimen, indicating that they were fairly stiff. They were probably hollow, at least at the base.

In a 2009 interview, Xu stated: "Both [feather types] are definitely not for flight, inferring the function of some structures of extinct animals would be very difficult, and in this case, we are not quite sure whether these feathers are for display or some other functions." He speculated that the finer feathers served as an insulatory coat and that the larger feathers were ornamental, perhaps for social interactions such as mating or communication.[6]
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Paleop
Member Avatar
Paleopterix

thanks, .......though I just wanted to know feather distribution on it's head (what areas were unfeathered ;) vs feathered ) (I still appreciate the answer though :) )

in an unrelated question, what dinosaurs would be the most practical/best to have in a zoo realistically(if dinos could be revived) my guess is hysilophodonts and small therizinosaus (Beipiaosaurus and falcarius)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Posted Image Guat
No Avatar


There's also small-medium sized Dromeasaurids, small Coelurosaurs, and the dwarf dinosaurs of Hateg Island. Basically anything the size of or smaller than an elephant.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Incinerox
Member Avatar
Āeksiot Zaldrīzoti

I reckon something like Tenontosaurus woulda been the easiest to maintain. It's about the size of a *small* rhino so its probably not as easily stressed as smaller ornithopods and it was not quite big enough and nowhere near armed enough to escape and cause havoc. It was apparently *very* adaptable, evolving in a semi arid climate only to THRIVE once their original habitat was turned into a swamp. Being an ornithopod, I bet it wasn't choosy about food either.

Like a cow sized reptilian cow.

Camptosaurus was likely the same.
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