[...] but one of the abstracts states that all Archaeopteryx specimens are immature.
If this is true, nearly all known theropod fossils of the German limestone are from immatures. Wellnhoferia would be so far the only exception (provided it's really an adult).
I am not sure how much this implies, given that the sample is not really high (apart from the Archaeopteryx specimens, we only have Sciurumimus). But the fact that really every Archaeopteryx species is immature is impressive.
Are the Compsogathus and Juravenator specimens mature?
Last Edit: Sept 24, 2014 20:25:46 GMT 5 by creature386
Compsognathus and Juravenator are immature. There is one larger Compsognathus from France. This implies nothing special, I found it just interesting that the only dinosaurs we know from German limestone are mostly immature theropods and not respecting the quantity of the specimens after all five different species. Maybe it has something to do with the environment, but I don't know.
Yes, probably. I don't believe in "nursery areas" either, but I could imagine the likelihood for a immature specimen to fossilize is still greater than for an adult one. Besides is the German limestone still a marine deposit.
Post by creature386 on Sept 25, 2014 19:18:16 GMT 5
I am not sure, but could this maybe hint a strong reproduction (R strategy) in small German theropods? I believe this explanation is weak, unless a high number of juveniles is also observed among their relatives, just an idea.
I think I open a new thread extra for German respectively Middle European limestone, instead of spamming in the SVP topic (I'm tinkering with the idea of doing this anyway^^)
Don't know to post it, but just about the big whales, a gigantic Late Miocene mysticete skeleton has been located in Peru. It is estimated to be at least 22 metres long, with a skull about 4-5 m long and extremely wide at 2.5 m. I don't know if it will be collected because of the hard sediments and the location. But such a huge mysticete was not expected from even the Late Miocene.
Nice Info, Grey. Some of the stuff at revealed at SVP seems to be phenomenal. Titanoboa was seemingly fully aquatic. Middle Jurassic snakes. Sauropod necks. And all that paravian stuff. Wish the SVP meeting was not that expensive. My sister asked me why I was not going there. Well, including travel expenses I could nearly get 2 weeks of AI in a much warmer place for about the same price.
Last Edit: Nov 7, 2014 2:27:11 GMT 5 by stomatopod
Given that anacondas ~10% of it's size are already quite sluggish on land, I'm not surprised that Titanoboa turned out to be a full-fledged water snake.
creature386: My bad, I’m starting to confuse all those paleo-symposiums (e.g. SVP and SVPCA). The website indeed requires you to enter an institutional name (and also to make a payment ). What a pity!
So some more stuff I skimmed: Ceratosaurus might be a basal Abelisaurid. Elaphrosaurs are basal Noasaurids.
More evidence of Sciurumimus being a Megalosauroid. Juravenator has Ceratosaurid features! (I already call Scipionyx being an Allosaurid, like Cau once joked/hinter at).
Theres much more but I do not want to spoil everything.
Unfortunately I could not find anything on B. sibbaldina.
Supercommunist: They found a mummified homotherium cub.
Nov 15, 2024 1:21:50 GMT 5
theropod: Well lol, my government announced it was breaking up on the very same day.
Nov 7, 2024 5:57:05 GMT 5
Infinity Blade: We failed you.
Nov 6, 2024 23:20:59 GMT 5
theropod: Yes. Shit. I don’t think the free world had any real plan B or contingency for the worst case scenario that has apparently ended up happening. Things were bad enough as it is, and nobody really has any capacity left to deal with it getting even shittier.
Nov 6, 2024 19:38:01 GMT 5
Supercommunist: Trump won. Was already pretty pessimistic about climate change but I think I am now in full doomer mode.
Nov 6, 2024 12:39:53 GMT 5
Exalt: And the giga not having as wide of a skull
Sept 6, 2024 23:05:23 GMT 5
Exalt: I would think that it's because of T.rex striking with power
Sept 6, 2024 23:02:54 GMT 5
Infinity Blade: I imagine tyrannosaurs having finesse through their premaxillary teeth. We know they could delicately scrape meat off of bones with those if they wanted to.
Aug 28, 2024 1:29:55 GMT 5
Supercommunist: Anyone find it kind of weird how some people portay gigantosaurus as a finese predator compared to a tyrannosaurus? Given that tyrannosaurus had the smaller gape and the duller teeth, wouldn't it require more precision?
Aug 27, 2024 23:49:00 GMT 5
Exalt: Could that be an anti-prefator adaptation, or?
Aug 14, 2024 20:32:23 GMT 5
Infinity Blade: I've read that in birds sex only lasts a few seconds, so maybe the fact that intercourse is very brief is an advantage.
Aug 12, 2024 7:26:21 GMT 5
Supercommunist: So I can't help but think that cloacas are more prone to STDS and infection that an animal that separates its poop hole and genitals. Are there any real big advantages of having a cloaca?
Aug 11, 2024 12:37:19 GMT 5
Infinity Blade: Dinosaur Revolution depicted Gigantoraptor like a bird of paradise, using colors, an inflatable throat sac, and dancing to court a mate.
Jul 22, 2024 18:42:46 GMT 5
Exalt: Some birds are known for extravagant courtship displays. Has anyone depicted non-avian dinosaurs doing such a thing? Presumably theropods.
Jul 11, 2024 6:31:19 GMT 5
razor45dino: 1.2 tonnes is probably a large underestimate or is not representative of a 13 meter individual
Jul 6, 2024 7:39:16 GMT 5
Infinity Blade: Assuming the Kaatedocus is 13 m and 1.2 tonnes, however, only gets you ~7.5 tonnes, which is unreasonable.
Jul 6, 2024 7:26:59 GMT 5
Infinity Blade: Supercommunist If you scale a 13 m 1.9 t Kaatedocus to Diplodocus' length (24 m), it comes out to be ~12 t. This lines up pretty well with a Diplodocus' body mass at that length.
Jul 6, 2024 7:24:20 GMT 5
Supercommunist: I've noticed that baboons seem to gang up on predators far quicker than other social animals.
Jul 6, 2024 2:18:30 GMT 5
Damnit! I was in Berlin just the week before. Why couldn’t this have taken place a week earlier? 
). What a pity!