The Gang of Five
Beyond the Mysterious Beyond => The Party Room => Ask Me => Topic started by: StrutEggStealer on December 08, 2012, 08:54:42 AM
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I just stumbled across this (more like tripped over this XDD) and thought "Hmm, yeah, this sounds fun. DO IT, STRUT!"
Soooo, do as the title says and initiate your q's for me :)
... I'm not antagonistic, so... please initiate questions? :p
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I just noticed (and clicked) the link in your signature that leads to a photo of Honduran white bats. :wub
So…this might be an obvious question, but…do you like bats? :)
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So…this might be an obvious question, but…do you like bats? :)
Haha, yes!! I do, guilty as charged!!
I find bats fascinating, I think I always have, at least since I saw Ferngully back in the nineties ;) Batty Koda really opened up my love of bats, and so did the book Stellaluna^^ that is my favorite childhood storybook.
I prefer flying foxes, because...., nnnnrgh! something about those cute lil faces, but I like the smaller, Microchiropters as well. We actually had a little furry individual nesting in our pagoda :3
But really, bats are the only mammals that can truly fly, and I feel so sad that they are so misunderstood. A child in my preschool classroom even remarked in utter horror at the mention of bats, "BATS SUCK YOUR BLOOD!!" After which I rolled my eyes and told him only a few species suck blood, but they like cow or chicken blood, and are about the size of your thumb, anyways. ;)
(I find Vampire Bats the absolute cutest thing ever, they look like they're smiling)
So, yes, I lurv bats^^
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Yes! Another member who loves bats! :DD Join the unofficial club that FlipperBoidSkua and I have started! :P:
Hah, you’re the same as me; you like correcting folks on their misunderstandings about bats (as early as preschool, no less)! :lol
Okay, done celebrating now…Next question:
Do you own, or have you ever owned, any pets?
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Haha, that's awesome^^
Yes, I had a lop rabbit named Snuggles back when I was eight or so. He was my baby, and I was heartbroken the day he died :(
My family has also had an odd assortment of animal companions^^ dogs, cats, fish, sheep, ducks, chickens, horses, and a pig, even.
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Yes, I had a lop rabbit named Snuggles back when I was eight or so. He was my baby, and I was heartbroken the day he died :(
Yes, isn't that the case with all pets?
My family has also had an odd assortment of animal companions^^ dogs, cats, fish, sheep, ducks, chickens, horses, and a pig, even.
Wow, does your family own a farm or something? Or just a very spacious property?
Bonus question: Do you have any interesting stories involving any of those animals? :)
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I came from a big family, and we had a big property^^ mix the two, and throw in a mix of enthusiasm for animal life... you got chaos!! :blink: lol
Though that enthusiasm tended to end badly, as in the case of my sister and a baby turkey "Mommy! He's so cute!!" *runs around, juggling baby turkey. Baby turkey falls out of my sister's hands and breaks its neck on the ground*
... disturbingly funny, yet also heartbreakingly sad... :o
Another story: we had EBIL ducks!! I am not kidding, they attacked us whenever we came near. Another sister was filming us outside one time, and the ducks were out. two seconds after the ANGRY!Momma saw us, she flips out and flaps her wings, quacking like all hell broke loose, and chased us back into the house! My sister was filming the attack the entire time^^
My cat also had a nasty habit of maiming baby rabbits... we had had an epidemic of mauled leverets one summer - praqctcally evey night, we'd hear this bloodchilling SCREEEEE outside, a rabbit screaming (not a pretty sound) and we'd roll our eyes, and go out and bring the bleeding lump inside :(
Another time, the sister that killed the baby turkey (unintentioally) was collecting eggs from our chickens, when the rooster who hated her jumped up on her back as she bent over. She was stuck in that position, yellign at him to move. I was behind her, and I just started laughing.... :oops
So yes, lots of stories of my random fmaily and our random animals^^
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Though that enthusiasm tended to end badly, as in the case of my sister and a baby turkey "Mommy! He's so cute!!" *runs around, juggling baby turkey. Baby turkey falls out of my sister's hands and breaks its neck on the ground*
Ohh…poor turkey. :(
Another story: we had EBIL ducks!! I am not kidding, they attacked us whenever we came near. Another sister was filming us outside one time, and the ducks were out. two seconds after the ANGRY!Momma saw us, she flips out and flaps her wings, quacking like all hell broke loose, and chased us back into the house! My sister was filming the attack the entire time^^
Never underestimate a duck. :p That sentence may sound funny, but as your story proves, it's advice not to be taken lightly.
My cat also had a nasty habit of maiming baby rabbits... we had had an epidemic of mauled leverets one summer - praqctcally evey night, we'd hear this bloodchilling SCREEEEE outside, a rabbit screaming (not a pretty sound) and we'd roll our eyes, and go out and bring the bleeding lump inside :(
Yikes… :o Were you ever able to save the mauled rabbits, or did they die (or have to be put out of their misery) every time?
Another time, the sister that killed the baby turkey (unintentioally) was collecting eggs from our chickens, when the rooster who hated her jumped up on her back as she bent over. She was stuck in that position, yellign at him to move. I was behind her, and I just started laughing.... :oops
Yes, chickens are not to be underestimated either. :p Incidentally, I was in an almost identical situation with with my cat, Sasquatch (who likes me just fine as far as I know, but is notoriously mischievous), a few nights ago: I was bent over a storage bin that had held a bag of cat food which had spilled due to Sasquatch gnawing a hole in it; :rolleyes my brother was next to me holding a briefcase with Sasquatch on top of it, and he just stepped off the briefcase onto my back. In the end, I lost my concentration on keeping my back straight: first Sasquatch's claws started digging in through my shirt; then, as in my discomfort I inadvertently increased the angle of my back further, Sasquatch slid off, leaving me with some light epidermal pinstripes on my back. :lol
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AMG^^ yeah, cats are menaces in regards to kneading.... I hated that :p
Regarding the rabbits, I'm pretty sure none of them survived three days after they were attacked. Even during recuperation. there was one rabbit that got loose from the box we were keeping it in, and hopped aroun the room, with us chasing after it^^
Also, the animal "abuse" I just mentioned, was just over-enthusiasm. None of my family members would think of hurting an animal, they just got a case of the fuzzies around a baby, and they went nuts :p
... Please don't report me :blink:
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Also, the animal "abuse" I just mentioned, was just over-enthusiasm. None of my family members would think of hurting an animal, they just got a case of the fuzzies around a baby, and they went nuts :p
... Please don't report me :blink:
It's okay; I understand. Accidents happen.
Duhhhhh…okay, finally came up with another question:
If you could be any species of dinosaur in the LBT series, which kind would you choose?
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Oooh, tough one hmm..
actually, no, not tough at all, a Struthiomimus :DD
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I guess I shouldn't be surprised. :p
In light of that, this is probably a stupid question, but are ornithomimosaurs your favorite dinosaurs? And are there any other dinosaurs (or other prehistoric critters) that you particularly like?
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Ornithomimosaurs are the top faves, although I am inclined towards bipedal omnivores, like troodontids and dromaeosaurs. I like the opportunistic ones :p
I'm not such a huge fan of sauropods. If I were a dinosaur, I would want to have the foot speed and gregarious lifestyle of an ornitho or troodontid. I actually have a list of my fave dinos on dA here: Favorites (http://thebattycrow.deviantart.com/journal/Favorites-310050880)
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I actually have a list of my fave dinos on dA here: http://thebattycrow.deviantart.com/journal/Favorites-310050880 (http://thebattycrow.deviantart.com/journal/Favorites-310050880)
Ooh. Very comprehensive. :yes
(I couldn't help but notice a few misspelled names and minor factual errors in your list, but I won't bother you about them unless you want to know. Forgive me for bringing it up; I just can't help this educator's instinct of mine. :oops)
On the subject of ornithomimosaurs…
Are you familiar with Deinocheirus, the giant Mongolian ornithomimosaur known only from a pair of eight-foot-long arms (plus some ribs and vertebrae), that may have been over 30 feet long and taller than T. rex?
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I couldn't help but notice a few misspelled names and minor factual errors in your list, but I won't bother you about them unless you want to know.
lol I wouldn't mind :)
Are you familiar with Deinocheirus?
Yes I am :) read several books about it as well. Nice to know they're finally putting it together whereas before they only had the arms to go off of.
It sounds like it would have been a force to be reckoned with. I hope they finalize the skeleton so we know what it looked like!! :DD
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I couldn't help but notice a few misspelled names and minor factual errors in your list, but I won't bother you about them unless you want to know.
lol I wouldn't mind :)
Oh, okay then:- The misspelled names were Coelophysis and Amargasaurus. (Congrats on getting Dromiceiomimus right, though; even I’ve had trouble spelling that one! ;))
- Dromaeosaurus was actually about the same length as Velociraptor (about 5–6 feet), though dromaeosaurine raptors did seem to have been somewhat more heavily built than velociraptorines, particularly their skulls. (Dromaeosaurus also had a comparatively smaller sickle claw, which may indicate that it used its teeth more than its claws when hunting.) Deinonychus, though, was about 10–13 feet long; maybe it was the raptor you were thinking of.
- No corrections to make here apart from the aforementioned name typo, but if it makes you feel better about Coelophysis, the evidence for its supposed cannibalistic behavior has been found to be mistaken. At least one fossil of what was thought to be a baby Coelophysis inside an adult’s stomach turned out to be a sphenosuchian (a small, long-legged crocodile relative), while in other cases the smaller dinosaur was apparently either fossilized directly underneath the larger one, or its body was deposited inside the rotted-out ribcage of the adult by flowing water or somesuch (It’s believed that many fossilized Coelophysis died in flash floods). This isn’t to say that Coelophysis definitely couldn’t have been a cannibal, but there’s no longer any smoking-gun evidence that it was.
- Just to clarify, Diplodocus was longer than Apatosaurus, but Apatosaurus was much bulkier, so it was probably heavier. Then again, if Seismosaurus and/or Supersaurus really are just XL specimens of Diplodocus…
- Amargasaurus was actually not a titanosaur, but a diplodocid (the same sauropod family as Diplodocus and Apatosaurus. Also, not so much a correction as an additional note: it’s been suggested that the spines on Amargasaurus’s neck may not have supported sails after all, but were…well…just spines that stuck out of the neck. If this was the case, then the spines may have allowed Amargasaurus to protect itself by curling its neck downwards, presenting neck-biting predators with a forest of spikes, or for display (one neat speculative idea I heard is that it could have clattered the spines together to make noise). I have no clue whether anyone has yet studied the spines closely and determined whether they supported a sail or not, but until someone announces the findings, I guess you can take your pick on which version of Amargasaurus you like best.
- Brachiosaurus was probably more like 40 feet tall with its neck raised to its maximum height, and around 80 feet long. Its later, longer-necked relative, Sauroposeidon, may have stood 60 feet tall, but I don’t believe there is any currently known sauropod that was 80 feet tall. Not that this makes brachiosaurs any less awesome, though: here’s (http://svpow.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/big-brachiosaurids-and-pathetic-mammals.jpg) a scale image of Sauroposeidon and two Brachiosaurus specimens compared to a human and record-sized giraffe (From this page (http://svpow.com/2009/03/16/brachiosaurus-both-bigger-and-smaller-than-you-think-incomplete/)).
- Technically, if you list Iguanodon along with your favorite hadrosaurs, then the header should be “Ornithopods”, because Iguanodon is not considered a hadrosaur. In fact, it was the hadrosaurs that evolved from a branch of the iguanodont family (though not from Iguanodon’s branch).
- Another informative note: Although I fully agree that the WWD Ornithocheirus was awesome, there is no evidence that it ever got that big. Apparently the Walking With Dinosaurs people heard about some fragmentary fossils that hinted at a large individual of Ornithocheirus or a close relative, and ran with the maximum possible estimate for how big it was, which was about twice the size of the largest confirmed Ornithocheirus, and probably far larger than the owner of the remains will turn out to be. (They did the same thing with Liopleurodon, though that was probably an even more grievous overestimate; at least we know that pterosaurs the size of their Ornithocheirus actually existed. :rolleyes)
Are you familiar with Deinocheirus?
Yes I am :) read several books about it as well. Nice to know they're finally putting it together whereas before they only had the arms to go off of.
It sounds like it would have been a force to be reckoned with. I hope they finalize the skeleton so we know what it looked like!! :DD
Sadly it looks like they're not going to be able to reconstruct the rest of the original specimen. Apparently most of it was eaten by a Tarbosaurus (http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/dinosaur/2012/04/tarbosaurus-leftovers-explain-dinosaur-mystery/). Hopefully someone will find another Deinocheirus someday. It (along with its fellow Mongolian theropod known mainly from arms, Therizinosaurus) is one of those dinosaurs that I really wish we knew more about.
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Congrats on getting Dromiceiomimus right, though; even I’ve had trouble spelling that one!
I was writing a story with a Dromi at the time ;)
As per the Dromaeosaurus, I mentioned both it and Deinonychus as my faves :) Deinonychus was in fact the real Jurassic Park movie Velociraptors (I lol'd so hard when I read that Veloci was only the size of a turkey!!)
Much thanks for the corrections on Amarg and Iguanodon. The reason I thought so was because it resembled the titanosaurs in that it didn't have as long, or as slim, of a neck, and it was sturdily built - like the titanosaurs :)
So... that makes Ig the father of the hadrosaurs, eh? :)
Ahh, now as for Brach, the book I was going off of, mentioned something like 80 feet or "picture eight six or so foot tall acrobats standing on top of each other's shoulders, and you get this super-saurus"
Now, Ornithocheirus, that was a surprise :blink: and even more so with Leopluerodon. *gawk* did that seriously happen? So how big would that make the two of them, now? Lio was originally thought to be as long as a Brach. Is it still the largest Jurassic sea predator? I mean, the fossil evidence I saw a pic of suggests so.
--- and now I shall proceed to address all those favorite dinosaurs by nicknames as if we're old buddies :rolleyes
WE SHOULD CUT OPEN EVERY TARBO UNTIL WE FIND DEINOCHERIUS!! XDD lol I seriously got a kick out of that... ohh, those carnivores knew EXACTLY what they were doing "let's drive those paleontologists up the wall by devouring all the rare species we can find!" It's a plot, I tell you!! :DD
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As per the Dromaeosaurus, I mentioned both it and Deinonychus as my faves :)
Whoops! I didn't notice that; I was only looking at the list, and not the comments afterwards. Sorry about that. :oops
So... that makes Ig the father of the hadrosaurs, eh? :)
More like the uncle of the hadrosaurs. :p Its group, the Iguanodontoidea, was the sister group to the Hadrosauroidea (which in turn contained the Hadrosauridae). Both groups belonged to the Iguanodontia, which was itself a branch of the Ornithopoda. (Taxonomy’s a confusing thing, innit? :wacko)
Now, Ornithocheirus, that was a surprise :blink: and even more so with Leopluerodon. *gawk* did that seriously happen? So how big would that make the two of them, now? Lio was originally thought to be as long as a Brach. Is it still the largest Jurassic sea predator? I mean, the fossil evidence I saw a pic of suggests so.
The annoying thing with giant pliosaurs like Liopleurodon is that seemingly every species has gone through a process that involves it at some point or another (usually when it is first discovered) being estimated to be some enormous sea monster, only for its size to be later re-estimated more accurately, and turn out to be much smaller. For instance, I remember reading that Kronosaurus was 56 feet long. Later, almost every source I found gave a length of 42 feet. Nowadays, it is believed to have been around 25–30 feet long. When Pliosaurus funkei (A.K.A. "Predator X") was first unearthed, reports trumpeted its estimated length to be around 50 feet. Now its length is believed to be somewhere between 33 and 42 feet long. Prior to Walking With Dinosaurs, Liopleurodon's length was usually stated to be 39 feet. Then WWD came out with its 80-foot Liopleurodon, which many people (including some authors of prehistoric animals books) assumed to be an accurate estimate of its maximum size. Nowadays, however, Liopleurodon is believed to have been around 33 feet long. I’ve heard that one reason for the downsizing is that the heads of giant pliosaurs turned out to be larger in proportion to the rest of the body than originally thought. Also, in the case of one Kronosaurus skeleton with a restored length of 42 feet, too many vertebrae were added to the backbone. I can’t blame the scientists for not always getting it right the first time, but I’m seriously starting to think that whenever someone discovers a new giant pliosaur, they should just give the reporters a figure of 25 or 30 feet as a safe estimate for its length, and assume that it’s not any bigger than that until they’re able to take more accurate measurements.
Similar things have happened with giant pterosaurs. Quetzalcoatlus was originally believed to have a wingspan of 50 feet or more. Later studies suggested that 39–40 feet was more likely. Now, with the knowledge that azhdarchids had comparatively shorter wings than other pterosaurs, Quetzalcoatlus wingspan is believed to have been closer to 33–36 feet. As for Ornithocheirus, its wingspan was probably around 20 feet, and the largest known member of its family, Coloborhynchus (the biggest toothed pterosaur yet discovered), may have had a wingspan of 24 feet, the same as the largest male Pteranodon. Meanwhile, the fragmentary ornithocheirid remains on which the size of the WWD Ornithocheirus is based have still yet to be scientifically described (I’m not sure why it’s taking so long :confused). Mind you, compared with azhdarchids, ornithocheirids had proportionally shorter legs, smaller bodies, and longer wings, so an azhdarchid with a 40-foot wingspan would appear to dwarf an ornithocheirid with a 40-foot wingspan.
When I first saw Walking With Dinosaurs, I believed its stats on Ornithocheirus and Liopleurodon myself, and was disappointed and irritated to learn that they had basically exaggerated them. The moral I took away from this was to be very skeptical of what dinosaur “life documentaries” portray as fact about their subjects. Sometimes they exaggerate, sometimes they aren’t perfectly clear that the creatures’ behavior is speculative (which is not on its own a bad thing), and sometimes they utterly screw things up.
What really bothers me about exaggerated and mistaken prehistoric animal measurements isn’t so much that the animal turns out to be somewhat less impressive than I had previously thought, but because of the effect it has on how other people see it. When a prehistoric animal is announced to be different in some respect from how people previously perceived it (be it smaller, slower, fluffier, less ferocious, etc.), prehistoric animal “fans” everywhere think, “Aw, that prehistoric creature wasn’t as awesome as we were told; those stupid scientists ruined it for us! I like the fictional version better; it’s way cooler than the real thing!” That sort of mindset really upsets me, because prehistoric animals are amazing enough (it’s awesome enough that they existed in real life at one time!); we don’t need to invent unrealistic imaginary versions of them in our mind’s eye to make them “cool”.
WE SHOULD CUT OPEN EVERY TARBO UNTIL WE FIND DEINOCHERIUS!! XDD lol I seriously got a kick out of that... ohh, those carnivores knew EXACTLY what they were doing "let's drive those paleontologists up the wall by devouring all the rare species we can find!" It's a plot, I tell you!! :DD
Yup. :lol :lol :lol Them darn conspiratorial carnivores. :p
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When I first saw Walking With Dinosaurs, I believed its stats on Ornithocheirus and Liopleurodon myself, and was disappointed and irritated to learn that they had basically exaggerated them.
Oh yeah, same here. I don't understand why scientists don't ask for a little time to make sure their findings are accurate (Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus, Ultrasaurus and Brachiosaurus, etc. I rest my case) because, as you said, too many vertebrae could be added, or in the famous case in a documentary I saw on Flyers - erp, I mean Pterosaurs (watchin' too much LBT) - called Sky Monsters; in it, an Israeli paleontologist, I believe he was Israeli, had discovered fossilized remains of what was believed to be the wing finger of a massive pterosaur - with a wingspan of forty feet. he had also found some pretty convicing tracks as well where the creature could have touched down in some area of the desert.
It would have been so much cooler had not he realized about a third of the wing bone was actually a petrified log :slap WHAT?! Honestly!!
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I don't understand why scientists don't ask for a little time to make sure their findings are accurate (Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus, Ultrasaurus and Brachiosaurus, etc. I rest my case) because, as you said, too many vertebrae could be added, or in the famous case in a documentary I saw on Flyers - erp, I mean Pterosaurs (watchin' too much LBT) - called Sky Monsters; in it, an Israeli paleontologist, I believe he was Israeli, had discovered fossilized remains of what was believed to be the wing finger of a massive pterosaur - with a wingspan of forty feet. he had also found some pretty convicing tracks as well where the creature could have touched down in some area of the desert.
It would have been so much cooler had not he realized about a third of the wing bone was actually a petrified log :slap WHAT?! Honestly!!
Well, in the case of WWD and other such dinosaur shows, inaccuracies are usually the fault of the filmmakers either failing to do adequate research on the creatures they're portraying, or taking scientific speculation and rough estimates and presenting them as fact because it makes for good TV. For example, if a paleontologist tells them that the fossil remains they're studying could have come from a creature that was probably between 30 and 50 feet long, but might have been as long as 70 feet, which size do you think the filmmakers are going to run with? :rolleyes
I saw the show about the petrified wood being mistaken for a pterosaur wing bone, too (As if that’s not enough, the tracks later turned out to be geologically disfigured theropod footprints. :rolleyes). Frankly, even I have to say that was a pretty pathetic mistake (According to other pterosaur researchers, the guy responsible is still hugely embarrassed about it). Still not nearly as bad the story of Aachenosaurus multidens, a name given in 1888 to a fossil of petrified wood by a scientist who thought he’d discovered a new species of hadrosaur (Due to the rules of scientific nomenclature, that plant will forever be known as “many-toothed reptile from Aachen”). Apparently that poor guy was so embarrassed he resigned from science altogether.
I think most cases of paleontologists getting things wrong, however, are more a case of science marching on. For example, contrary to popular belief, Brontosaurus wasn't synonymized with Apatosaurus because it was a chimera (a fossil that turns out to have been reconstructed from remains of two different species, in this case Apatosaurus and Camarasaurus), but because sometime after that mistake had been fixed, someone decided that it was similar enough to Apatosaurus to warrant including it in the same genus. There are still scientists out there who argue that Brontosaurus excelsus is its own genus and species. Ultrasauros (originally spelled Ultrasaurus but changed because someone elsewhere had already used that name), however, did turn out to be a chimera, part Brachiosaurus and part Supersaurus. Like many chimeras, it's a matter of not being easy to tell that the bones you've found belong to different species, especially when the creatures are similar, have died close together, and the bones have been scattered by water, scavengers, geological activity, or what have you.
Oh, by the way, sorry: I forgot to address your earlier question on whether Liopleurodon was still the biggest Jurassic predator. (Wait, whose question thread is this again? :confused :p) I would assume that it or some other giant pliosaur like Pliosaurus funkei is still at least the heaviest, though there are a few large theropods such as Torvosaurus and Saurophaganax (and others known from only fragmentary remains) that may have been slightly longer; in the 36–43-foot range. However, there was also an early Jurassic ichthyosaur, Temnodontosaurus (this page (http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2009/08/02/return-from-avalon/) has a picture of its skull), that apparently reached 40 feet long, so it may have beaten out both the pliosaurs and the theropods for the title.
The largest predator of the entire Mesozoic that I am aware of, however, was a much older Triassic ichthyosaur, Shastasaurus sikanniensis, which is estimated to have been at least 60–70 feet long, almost as large as the WWD Liopleurodon. It was toothless, however, and probably fed on fish and soft-bodied cephalopods like squid, which it caught by rapidly opening its mouth to create a vacuum that sucked them down its gullet. Still a creature I’d be pretty hesitant to go swimming with. As far as toothy, Liopleurodon-like predators go, the biggest I know of is Mosasaurus hoffmanni, a colossal marine lizard from the late Cretaceous that reached lengths of at least 50 (possibly up to 60) feet long. In any case, Walking With Dinosaurs sure as heck didn’t need to make up or exaggerate anything about the scariness of prehistoric sea monsters. :blink:
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^ he didn't have to quit science, just acknowledge his mistake and research like crazy to blow our minds with something new XDD
I feel so deflated about liopluerodon - that it's been shruken down. I have the WWD book, and all that footage of a massive Lio stalking those opthalmosauruses or those cryptocliduses... and now all for naught :( but i suppose that's still an impressive length. Dwarfed of course by that Shastasaurus and Mosasaurus.
Dinotopia reference - the mosasaurs represented in that film were basically massive, bulky crocs. And it was really more whale-like than anything.
I can imagine Pliosaur being one of the biggest^^ those things are massive - I also had a Torvo charry in a story that I eventually scrapped to be a story with humans not dinosaurs XDD
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I feel so deflated about liopluerodon - that it's been shruken down. I have the WWD book, and all that footage of a massive Lio stalking those opthalmosauruses or those cryptocliduses... and now all for naught :( but i suppose that's still an impressive length.
Sorry to disappoint you like that. :( :oops If it's any consolation, though, paleontologists have no way of knowing the maximum size of pliosaurs and many other prehistoric animals, or if there were any species out there that were bigger than the ones we know about. Maybe pliosaurs didn’t get any bigger than 40 feet, but maybe some did; we may never know. But even if they weren’t as massive as we thought in terms of body length, the fact remains that there are pliosaur skull and jaw fossils out there that suggest that at least some of these creatures had heads measuring 8–10 feet in length (nearly twice as long as the skull of any known T. rex); that’s pretty darn formidable. It's estimated that a pliosaur's skull accounted for about 17–20% of its total body length, though that assumes that giant pliosaurs had the same head-to-body ratio as smaller ones. And like you said, even a ~30 foot Liopleurodon would have been a monster, certainly the top predator of its environment.
Dinotopia reference - the mosasaurs represented in that film were basically massive, bulky crocs.
Yeah, it always bothered me that the Dinotopia miniseries portrayed mosasaurs so inaccurately. :rolleyes Ironically, though, paleontologists recently discovered a new species of mosasaur called Pannoniasaurus (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/12/121219-sea-monster-new-species-freshwater-paleontology-science/) that lived in freshwater, measured 13–20 feet long as an adult, and may have had webbed feet or limblike flippers. It didn't look much like the deep-skulled, armor-plated brutes from Dinotopia, but it's nonetheless a striking coincidence. :blink:
And it was really more whale-like than anything.
Well, maybe somewhere between a toothed whale like an orca and a giant, seagoing Komodo dragon (though they looked a little like unarmored, flippered crocodiles). Mosasaurs were recently found to have tail flukes like whales (though vertically oriented like the tails of fish and ichthyosaurs), and they did give birth to live young. Many also had expandable jaws with extra rows of teeth on the roof of the mouth, like snakes, which would have allowed them to manipulate and swallow prey wider than their heads (A few later varieties, like Mosasaurus, developed jaws that were less flexible, but presumably gave them immensely powerful bites). It's also likely that they had forked tongues for detecting scents. They're extremely interesting creatures.
By the way, I found this (http://andorou-khan.deviantart.com/art/Deinocheirus-says-329227623) on DeviantArt a few days ago. Maybe it's not that funny, but I couldn't help but chuckle at it, given how it reminded me of one of our recent discussions. :lol
Sources:
http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/20...nster-mandible/ (http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2007/12/15/cumnor-monster-mandible/)
http://carnivoraforum.com?topic=9748338/1/ (http://carnivoraforum.com?topic=9748338/1/)
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...pecies_20121220 (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/12/121219-sea-monster-new-species-freshwater-paleontology-science/?http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2012/12/19/freshwater-mosasaur-stirs-marine-reptile-relationships/source=hp_dl2_news_sea_monster_species_20121220)
http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/20...-goronyosaurus/ (http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2009/04/13/tongues-venom-goronyosaurus/)
http://www.oceansofkansas.com/Greatrep.html (http://www.oceansofkansas.com/Greatrep.html)
http://www.oceansofkansas.com/RapidMosa.html (http://www.oceansofkansas.com/RapidMosa.html)
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:lol It's perfectly fine^^ I'm glad that the facts were available, and please don't think you 'ruined my day and/or life with that news!' (O_o) I suppose the angle of paleontology is to have a good imagination^^
Ironically, though, paleontologists recently discovered a new species of mosasaur called Pannoniasaurus (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/12/121219-sea-monster-new-species-freshwater-paleontology-science/) that lived in freshwater, measured 13–20 feet long as an adult, and may have had webbed feet or limblike flippers
Wow, that is awesome!! Kinda makes up for that, maybe even for the confusion of Zippo's species (that still irks me, even though Zippo Stenosaurus is my absolute favorite saurian in the films :)) Because as I recall - I actually searched this one^^ - Stenosaurus is a slender, crocodilian-like creature, whereas Stenonychosaurus, which may have been more of what they were aiming toward, was a relative of the brainy Troodon.
Ah well, I still love the miniseries to TV series to death, even with its quirks :DD
Well, maybe somewhere between a toothed whale like an orca and a giant, seagoing Komodo dragon (though they looked a little like unarmored, flippered crocodiles)
Bwahaha, I seriously had Zippo's voice in my head going "I hope you CHOKE on it!!" after his tail tip was bitten off at the temple XDD whew, if the mosasaurs were accurately protrayed, he'd have been screwed :blink:
Also, that comic was terrible... terribly funny :DD
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Wow, that is awesome!! Kinda makes up for that, maybe even for the confusion of Zippo's species (that still irks me, even though Zippo Stenosaurus is my absolute favorite saurian in the films :)) Because as I recall - I actually searched this one^^ - Stenosaurus is a slender, crocodilian-like creature, whereas Stenonychosaurus, which may have been more of what they were aiming toward, was a relative of the brainy Troodon.
The croc's name is actually Steneosaurus (a lot of sites just get the spelling wrong :rolleyes), though I wouldn't be surprised if the name "Stenosaurus" is floating around somewhere out there in the sea of biological nomenclature (most likely in the abyss of invalid names) some critter or other did get the nam "Stenosaurus"). You're right, though: Zippo was based on Stenonychosaurus inequalis, which is currently considered to be synonymous with Troodon (more or less the same story as Brontosaurus and Apatosaurus). However, from what I've heard, Stenonychosaurus may be split from Troodon and become its own genus again sometime in the near future. In any case, my best guess is that the miniseries just screwed up the pronunciation. (This sort of thing, unfortunately, happens more often than you might think: the awful 2009 "documentary" Clash of the Dinosaurs pronounced Parasaurolophus's name as "Parasaur-rofl-us". :slap How ironic.)
Also, that comic was terrible... terribly funny :DD
Pfft…If you liked that comic, here's (http://hodarinundu.deviantart.com/art/Itchy-Tarbosaurus-263843172) another one (albeit not Deinocheirus-related) that cracks me up every time I look at it. :lol
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^^ ohnuuuu, not another Tarbosaurus!! :lol
the awful 2009 "documentary" Clash of the Dinosaurs pronounced Parasaurolophus's name as "Parasaur-rofl-us". How ironic.)
Ugh, they seriously did that? Nononono... wrong, wrong, wrong, altho the rofl pun made up for it :DD
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^^ ohnuuuu, not another Tarbosaurus!! :lol
In light of a certain recent discovery, that comic might be even funnier (or at least more ironic) with a Deinocheirus substituted for the Therizinosaurus. :p Granted, Therizinosaurus's claws were much larger, and it is better known for them, so perhaps it suits the punchline better. Not that it matters; as it is it's one of my favorite comics featuring dinosaurs I've ever seen. :lol
the awful 2009 "documentary" Clash of the Dinosaurs pronounced Parasaurolophus's name as "Parasaur-rofl-us". How ironic.)
Ugh, they seriously did that? Nononono... wrong, wrong, wrong, altho the rofl pun made up for it :DD
If you think that's bad, that’s far from the worst of it. They also portrayed it as being able to defend itself using weaponized infrasound (basically, producing low-frequency sound that caused physical damage to its predators, even knocking them down); kind of a cool idea, but extremely unlikely and with absolutely no evidence for it (and that’s just one of many implausible, inaccurate, and overly theatrical depictions of dinosaur behavior and biology in the show).
Worst of all, Clash of the Dinosaurs infamously quote-mined a sauropod expert, Matt Wedel, who was one of the paleontologists they consulted when making the film. They asked him to talk about the sacro-lumbar expansion, a swelling in the hip vertebrae of sauropods that was once thought to house a sort of secondary brain (this was back when people believed that dinosaur brains were too pathetically tiny to control their whole bodies). What Wedel said in the interview was something along the lines of: “Sauropods had a swelling in the spinal cord near the pelvis. At one time it was thought that this functioned as a second brain to control the hind legs and tail, but this was incorrect.” But by the time Clash of the Dinosaurs aired on the Discovery Channel, when Wedel appeared onscreen as one of the talking heads, the filmmakers had cut the segment like this: “Sauropods had a swelling in the spinal cord near the pelvis.
[size0]At one time it was thought that this functioned as a second brain to control the hind legs and tail
[size0], but this was incorrect.”
:bang :bang :bang :slap :slap :slap :anger :anger :anger :anger
So basically, these people not only presented a long-discredited and completely inaccurate theory as scientific fact, when the expert they hired to talk about it on camera told them it wasn’t so, but they made that scientist look like he endorsed it. That goes beyond inaccuracy; it’s outright unethical. (Oh, and did I mention that they also misspelled his name and ignored pretty much all the information he gave them for their CGI sequences of sauropods? :rolleyes)
After complaints from a rightfully furious Wedel, Discovery had the clip removed for subsequent airings of the show and the DVD release, but Clash of the Dinosaurs’ reputation will forever be synonymous with one of the greatest dinosaur “documentary” scandals ever committed.
Sources:
http://svpow.com/2009/12/15/lies-damned-li...-the-dinosaurs/ (http://svpow.com/2009/12/15/lies-damned-lies-and-clash-of-the-dinosaurs/)
http://svpow.com/2009/12/17/clash-of-the-d...honest-editing/ (http://svpow.com/2009/12/17/clash-of-the-dinosaurs-dangerous-ltd-document-their-own-dishonest-editing/)
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What Wedel said in the interview was something along the lines of: “Sauropods had a swelling in the spinal cord near the pelvis. At one time it was thought that this functioned as a second brain to control the hind legs and tail, but this was incorrect.”
“Sauropods had a swelling in the spinal cord near the pelvis.
[size0]At one time it was thought that this functioned as a second brain to control the hind legs and tail
[size0], but this was incorrect.”
That is so unprofessional, not to mention disrespectful! :anger What exactly did they gain from editing it like that? Nothing! And like you said, their documentary flopped, too :p
Buh, insolent, unprofessional, disrespectful... grrrr
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That is so unprofessional, not to mention disrespectful! :anger What exactly did they gain from editing it like that? Nothing!
Exactly my thoughts!
Okay…in the interests of returning to the intended purpose of this thread (and hopefully changing to a happier topic), I should probably ask another actual question. :p
What are your favorite present-day animals? Or, if you're like me and can't name them all or narrow it down, what are some present-day animals you particularly like that you can think of right now? :P:
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Lol certainly :D
Favorite animals would be the misfits, or at least what I consider misfits:
Reptiles - especially those of the snake persuasion, and I also like geckos
Lagomorphs - especially the wild hares. Redwaaaalll!
Insects - butterflies, derp (everything else wants to eat you :o)
Arachnids - not too particularly fond of this group :p but I like crab- and those of the argiope tendency, and orb weavers... I'm also leaning towards funnel web freaks since I'm writing a Ferngully fanfiction involving them (and doing my best not to scream in absolute terror! H. Formidibilis (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2317/2145717862_736c790f62.jpg))
Felines - too many to count, but I do like melanic leopards :lol:
Canids - foxes, mostly. I suppose coyotes and wolves as well
Avians - those in parentheses I tend to like more out of the family group :) Corvids (Am. Crows and Ravens), Cranes (Whooping), Owls (Great Horned and Screech), Hawks (Red-tail) Falcons (Peregrine, ultimate ftw to the Cheetah, lol) Eagles (Golden) and Ospreys. I also like ostriches and the big birds; a Sesame street reference and a Struthiomimus one at the same time :rolleyes:
Marsupials - I find the Virginia Opossum to be extremely cute, especially when it's only a few days old and left gumming your wrist :3 koalas = must love, and pademelons are unique; also Red kangaroos seriously kick tail
General Mammals - I like rats and mice - Secret of NIMH helped me with that, lol
Aye-Ayes are also incredibly lovable, same with Bush Babies and lemurs, especially the Ring-tailed and Sifakas. I'm not particularly fond of apes or primates, but I do love marmosets and tamarins - tiny, cute, chittering things :3
And lastly, Bats - flying foxes such as the Black and Red Flying Fox Black Flying Fox (http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRoJM-wUUTOq_qhBdCmo-thLk7GnFqzfNrfEgS0d3HM0bj1DvbZ) and Little Red Flying Fox (http://www.redbubble.com/people/serenab/works/8779569-little-red-flying-fox-hanging-out)
... I believe that's all :3
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Extreme BUMP!! Lol
This has been hidden in the shadows for too long, now... something must be done :blink:
Feel free to ask me anything... just don't put me in an interrogation room O_o
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Favorite genre and why that genre?
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What's ya favourite colour? :P:
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@Drake: honestly, I have too many favorite genres. For music, I'm contented with classical, celtic, rock, hip-hip, pop, some forms of rap too. Movies and books, I'm definitely into the fantasy genre because it appeals to me. It puts me into a peaceful, creative state of mind :)
Music, too. I'm very musically-oriented.
@Ducky: My favorite color is periwinkle blue :3
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Do you want to have children someday? If yes how many?
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Well, at this point I'm saying maybe. I would like to get married someday, it's just the matter of finding the right guy :p
I most certinaly want children!!
I'd say four or five children. Maybe six :)
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I may suggest you to marry Ozzy having 5 kids named Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike :DD
Nah :D
What subject is/was your favourite in school?
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Ozzy? Whut? Strut's more my style ;)
lol what about Ruby? I like the name Ruby
Favorite subject(s) are creative writing, art, childhood theory and curriculum, and SCIENCE!!! Seriously, I love science; I am such a huge science-nut I would organize my nieces to test hypotheses on the best means of melting an ice block and have them test variables :DD
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Do you have a dinosaur persona ("dinosona")?
If yes, what does it look like?
If no, then I can create one for you, if you wish. :)
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I do have a dinosona, you can see her in Mine FanArt gallery here, her info is there as well :3
Funny since she's also an OC, as well as a dinosona - I think I need to revamp my definition of '-sonas' XDD
Here (http://gangoffive.net/index.php?showtopic=11429&st=40&hl=)
But if you want to try your hand at drawing her, by all means do so! I love receiving fanart! :DD
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Well, I wanted to create a new character, not to draw an existing one. I love creating these dinosonas. Anyway, thanks for your answer. But if you decide to have a second dinosona, then I'd be glad to help. :)
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Have you ever been searching for a thing in your house, and after some time found it in a place where you started wondering how the heck had it ended up there? :huh:
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What will you do when you reach 1000 posts?
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@Jansenov: Oy vey, yes actually just recently. I was searching for over a week for my thumbdrive and was going crazy worried about it - where had I left it? That drive had my stories, pictures to upload, my life is ruined! And then I was cleaning off my desk and lo and behold! There it was! And I might remember planting it there, but for the most part I don't remember WHY I put it there XDD
@Murmur: Most likely not realize it until someone points it out (by that time I will be on like 1020) and it'll be too late to celebrate^^
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Then I'll warn you when you reach 999. :)
What does Ozzy eat when he can't find any eggs?
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Much obliged :yes
Ozzy runs out of eggs? Hehe, he'll throw a fury tantrum, of course
... and then sing a song
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Do you write fiction? Sorry if this has been asked before... :blink:
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Yes indeedy! And don't worry, hasn't been asked yet :)
While I may not be the most exemplary of authors, I have written quite a few fantasy themes rotating around the impossible :)
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Back with more questions, as promised! ;)
Here's a silly one I asked FlipperBoidSkua a while back; I thought it would be fun to hear another egg stealer fan's take on it:
What do you think would happen if Ozzy and Strut were unleashed on a present-day Easter celebration? :lol What would they think of chocolate eggs? And hard-boiled eggs, for that matter?
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Back with more questions, as promised! ;)
Here's a silly one I asked FlipperBoidSkua a while back; I thought it would be fun to hear another egg stealer fan's take on it:
What do you think would happen if Ozzy and Strut were unleashed on a present-day Easter celebration? :lol What would they think of chocolate eggs? And hard-boiled eggs, for that matter?
:wave Well hello there :3
Hmm, that's a toughie. I'm guessing Strut would take a fancy to the chocolate eggs since they aren't really real eggs. I'm imagine Ozzy'd take a crack (literally) at the harboiled eggs and find they're so much neater than raw eggs. None of that drippy yolk, thanks very much :DD
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What is your philosophy on life?
(Forgive me but I just had to ask :smile )
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Lol, seems you've been bitten by the philosophy bug as well!
I tell you, it's contagious! :smile
Well, my philosophy on life would include those golden oldies such as be yourself, stay true, etc. But for the most part, my philosophy is such:
Strive to be better every day; smile, because there is too much sadness; always look for a reason to be happy; remain true to family, friends; never, ever falter; if at first I don't succeed, pray and hope for another chance; when given that chance; through my choices make a difference, and be inspiring; be a stronghold for others who need one; never, ever pass the opportunity to learn something new (however unpleasant). <-- quote from my grandfather, a wise man indeed :)
... now that I look at it, it may sound a bit bleak :p
I was more impressed with your answer^^
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... now that I look at it, it may sound a bit bleak :p
I was more impressed with your answer^^
Actually, I rather liked your description of your philosophy on life. Sometimes a simple, concise statement on a subject is better than a long-winded one (as I am very prone to give :smile).
Ok, now I have to pester you with a question I have been asking others in the Ask Me section...
I think that it is obvious who your favorite LBT character is. :) But, who is your favorite member of the gang of five (or seven, if you count the TV series) and why?
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Lol, I'm just the opposite - I would rather have the wind and the words for a grand speech :)
but with my luck, I'd just dissolve into smiles and giggles :smile
Ohh, that's a toughie.
Well, from the original Gang, my favorite is Cera, and she has been my favorite for a long time. She and I are kinda similar; we're both stubborn, proud, and defensive, as well as constant and loyal.
I'm just not brave like her, and she's not as spontaneous cheerful as I am :lol
And since I am such an indecisive little bugger, from the TV series, my favorite is Ruby - I admire her for her patience and kindness, and for her willingness to help. She is ever-cheerful and friendly and just such a good dinosaur to have around.
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I can definitely relate to your second answer, as Ruby is also my favorite character from the series. This brings me to a related question:
What is your least liked and second-most least liked character from the Land Before Time series and why?
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Hmm, don't think I have a least-liked character... I mean, I even like the bullies Hyp, Mutt and Nod to some extent. And I like the Yellowbellies.
I honestly can't say :lol
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I am an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction. One of my hobbies whenever I have significant free time (which isn't very often) is to curl up and read a good novel. So I was wondering, what are some of your favorite novels, short stories, or non-fiction books?
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I'm not such a fan of non-fiction (that or I haven't found a good one to like, lol)
Well, I enjoy the dual installment of Catherine Valente's The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland and The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland (long long titles, but worth the read, totally worth it)
I love the recent Audio Book I rented Codename Verity, a fictional account taking place during WWII. Brimming with twists and just beautifully written.
I mostly like humor/comedy in my stories, as well as fiction, preferably animal-centered or fantasy-centered, like Gail Carson Levine's works. And Spiderwick, too^^
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Do you have a favorite genre of music that you enjoy? If so, what are some of your favorite songs/bands?
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I have several :3 If you sit me down in front of the radio I will listen to anything. Rock, Classical, Celtic, Hip-hop (well, some at least) Pop, Jazz, even Gregorian. I'm not really picky.
My favorite bands (composers) are:
Muse
Enya
Owl City
OneRepublic
The Killers
Classical Masters (lol)
Aaron Copland
Imagine Dragons
About the only thing I'm picky with is Rap but even then I still like Eminem and Rihanna and Jay-Z... but it will depend on my mood XDD
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Do you allow people to draw your characters (including Keirra) without your permission as long as they don't think your characters are theirs or do you have to ask permission for that?
(Yes, I know I'm 8 years too late.)
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Have you watched Animaniacs? Original or 2020?