The Paleontology Thread

[Voyager]

Could triceratops possibly be gray in color if it were alive today?

Most large animals would have probably been grey.

[JAGzilla]

Could triceratops possibly be gray in color if it were alive today?

No reason it couldn't. A lot of large animals today are gray, so that's a safe guess. Chances are its frill was more brightly colored, though, since ceratopsian frills seem to have been display structures first and foremost.

[Dracosaurian]

Prehistoric Planet clip!

[Leviarex]

New dinosaur documentary "Prehistoric Planet" to be streamed on Apple TV plus on May 233rd!

This'll certainly be the first cgi dinosaur documentary to feature a swimming tyrannosaur, and the air sacs on the sauropod's neck are a unique (and not implausible) feature.

[LegendZilla]

Does anyone think that the term longneck could be an adequate term for Sauropods in general?

[JAGzilla]

Does anyone think that the term longneck could be an adequate term for Sauropods in general?

It would've been if it wasn't permanently kiddified by The Land Before Time.

[Voyager]

Does anyone think that the term longneck could be an adequate term for Sauropods in general?

Well no. Spinosaurids, Therizinosaurs, Ornithomimids, etc. make it hard.

[SoggyNoodles2016]

Does anyone think that the term longneck could be an adequate term for Sauropods in general?

I guess but it's a very basic name for a varied group with much more impressive features.

[ShinGojira14]

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-enviro ... um=custom7

[LegendZilla]

^One day, some sentient creature millions of years in the future is gonna find remains of an animal directly affected by the extinction caused by us.

[ShinGojira14]

^One day, some sentient creature millions of years in the future is gonna find remains of an animal directly affected by the extinction caused by us.

The future does not exist until it is the present day, so maybe not.

[LegendZilla]

Do any of you mind if I adress my theory to how Andrewsarchus lived is life? Since it is now widely regarded to be closely related to modern whales and hippos, It won't be that far-fetched if it lived a similar lifestyle to the latter. Unlike modern hippos however, it could've been a full-time ambush-predator like a Crocodile or alligator. That would make the animal a terrifying mesh of both modern-day creatures.

Anyways, here's an interesting reconstruction of the beast I've come across : What do you think of it? I think it looks outright ugly and not anything you'd want to run into.

[SoggyNoodles2016]

Do any of you mind if I adress my theory to how Andrewsarchus lived is life? Since it is now widely regarded to be closely related to modern whales and hippos, It won't be that far-fetched if it lived a similar lifestyle to the latter. Unlike modern hippos however, it could've been a full-time ambush-predator like a Crocodile or alligator. That would make the animal a terrifying mesh of both modern-day creatures.

You know, given we have evidence of other swampy species in the area, I'd buy it.

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-enviro ... um=custom7

...ok between this, the Three Rex, and the spino paper, we can officially say wildest year in paleontology right?

[ShinGojira14]

...ok between this, the Three Rex, and the spino paper, we can officially say wildest year in paleontology right?

Don’t forget Prehistoric Kingdom and Prehistoric Planet as well.

[Eel221]

...ok between this, the Three Rex, and the spino paper, we can officially say wildest year in paleontology right?

2014 was wilder with its new reconstructions of spinosaurus and deinocheirus

[LegendZilla]

They should’ve called the the third Tyrannosaur species Varanos (Baron in Greek) instead of “Queen”

[SoggyNoodles2016]

They should’ve called the their Tyrannosaur species Varanos (Baron in Greek) instead of “Queen”

Nah, it was named Queen because it had a lighter build like a female tyrannosaur because that's what it probably is so Varanos wouldn't have made sense for Regina.

Maybe for Imperator.

[ShinGojira14]

They should’ve called the the third Tyrannosaur species Varanos (Baron in Greek) instead of “Queen”

Nah. Queens are better than anything.

[LegendZilla]

Regardless, lately I have been starting to think that mesonychians would've more resembled pigs when they were alive than wolves. It would make more sense to reference their living artiodactyl brethren when reconstructing the animals rather than canids. For example, look at the skulls of both animals :

Harpagolestes (Mesonychia) :



Sus Scrofa (Artiodactyla) :



It's hard not to notice the resemblance.

[NSZ]

Meet Maip macrothorax, the giant megaraptoran.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-09272-z