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Post by arioch on Sept 1, 2011 4:23:42 GMT
What , move like in a crawling stance? Would that be even possible?
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Post by paleoferroequine on Sept 1, 2011 4:46:11 GMT
It would be impossible for him to go quadrupedal with non pronated hands. Most likely it had longer (and bulkier) hindlimbs. Those doesnt seem capable to support that huge mass, despite their shortness... I just can´t imagine this model in motion convincingly. Not if the front limbs are splayed. After all, modern crocs don't have pronated hands either. ? Then how do they bring their legs to an erect position and run? |
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bfler
Junior Member
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Post by bfler on Sept 1, 2011 6:32:59 GMT
Hm, looks more and more like the African version of Deinosuchus or Sarcosuchus. Imagine some Spinosaurus lying in wait for other dinosaurs. The sail, hump above the water horizon in the sun would be an advantage if they even had a metabolism like crocodiles.
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Post by tanystropheus on Sept 1, 2011 15:42:53 GMT
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Post by eriorguez on Sept 1, 2011 18:42:21 GMT
Hm, looks more and more like the African version of Deinosuchus or Sarcosuchus. Imagine some Spinosaurus lying in wait for other dinosaurs. The sail, hump above the water horizon in the sun would be an advantage if they even had a metabolism like crocodiles. Sarcosuchus was the African version of Sarcosuchus, you know.  Also, I'm a bit skeptical about this. I'll wait a bit to see papers, or a reason to think the legs come from an animal the exact same size as the giants. Nice.... I hope it gets published soon enough~ Btw, I do find this reconstruction pretty interesting (regardless of accuracy...the proportions do seem to be a bit weird, but looks very real nonetheless) ] Where is that model located? I want to find some better profile photos of the neck and head. As far as shorter legs go, I agree, it makes sense. Lower center of gravity is easier to manage when an animal is 50 feet long. The Carcharodontosaurines show the same adaptation. TRex had longer legs, but then I think it was a more agile, faster animal - given the prey in its ecosystem, all of which, save for Ankylosaurus, could move pretty fast, relatively speaking... OTOH, if you're doing mainly stationary "hook fishing" for 9'+ foot fish, or catching lumbering 60-ton sauropods, you don't need the long legs that are required for speed.... Giganotosaurus has the same leg lenght that Sue. A slighty longer femur and a slighty shorter tibia, but the same total lenght. Proportions are a bit different, but you can't say Giga was a lower animal that Tyranno. |
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Post by gwangi on Sept 1, 2011 20:32:04 GMT
Hm, looks more and more like the African version of Deinosuchus or Sarcosuchus. Imagine some Spinosaurus lying in wait for other dinosaurs. The sail, hump above the water horizon in the sun would be an advantage if they even had a metabolism like crocodiles. I think the sail/hump would hinder any attempt to ambush animals by the water. Crocodiles succeed at ambushing because they are difficult to spot. |
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bfler
Junior Member
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Post by bfler on Sept 2, 2011 6:10:22 GMT
I think with camouflage pattern or positioned with the head to his target that wouldn't be such a problem.
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Post by gwangi on Sept 2, 2011 11:14:17 GMT
I don't know, it doesn't work very well for male lions either.
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Post by arioch on Sept 2, 2011 11:43:57 GMT
But what kind of camouflage could work in the water?
Juvenile Paralititan #1: Hey Joe, do you see that tall striped and scaly thing slowly floating towards us? what could be that?
Juvenile Paralititan #2: dunno but it doesnt have fangs or claws and doesn´t look tasty so I dont care, just let me drink d**nit
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Post by Blade-of-the-Moon on Sept 3, 2011 5:19:24 GMT
How about a shade that blended with the water or waterside plant life ? Or didn't register to it's prey's vision ? If it was a fisher the sail wouldn't matter to them..except to provide a shady spot for them to gather..  |
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Post by Griffin on Sept 5, 2011 14:48:00 GMT
I have my doubts about spinosaurs actually swimming in the water and hunting like crocodiles. There were already plenty of crocs around then that filled that niche. Plus they were designed like most other theropods...to walk on land. I'm all for the wading idea but not so much swimming and ambushing.
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Post by Blade-of-the-Moon on Sept 6, 2011 4:53:18 GMT
Lots of animals can fill similar niches..think how many creatures eat ants ? If fish were so plentiful it makes sense a lot of animals would eat them just like today. That's not to say they ate only fish..crocs and anything else small enough to killed would prob be on the menu.
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Post by Griffin on Sept 6, 2011 17:17:05 GMT
I know but I'm talking about spinosaurus swimming. It just doesn't seem to be built like an aquatic animal to me.
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Post by arioch on Sept 6, 2011 17:29:27 GMT
The nostrils being at the middle of the skull instead of the tip (like in crocodylians and hippos) should be indicative enough that most likely spinosaurs spent more time over the water that under it.
Actually the nostril position looks like an specific bird like adaptation to catch fish without interrupt breathing, standing in the middle of the lake or river, with the tip of the snout permanently submerged and ready to strike.
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Post by paleoferroequine on Sept 6, 2011 17:42:22 GMT
The nostrils being at the middle of the skull instead of the tip (like in crocodylians and hippos) should be indicative enough that most likely spinosaurs spent more time over the water that under it. Actually the nostril position looks like an specific bird like adaptation to catch fish without interrupt breathing, standing in the middle of the lake or river, with the tip of the snout permanently submerged and ready to strike. OK, how about phytosaurs?  Nostrils back towards the eyes. Admittedly raised on a hump. However I do agree on the fish catching scenario rather than croc like swimming, that sail would make it hard to swim cross-ways against the current. |
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Post by arioch on Sept 6, 2011 17:53:34 GMT
Yes, like you said phytosaur nostrils are in the top of the head, not the sides...and above the eyes level. Very different to spinosaurs. Anyway, lets go speculative, what if the spinos crest was actually an structure to support a phytosaur like hump and upward nostrils? Though the skull nostrils look way too small to form a sauropod like nose..
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Post by Blade-of-the-Moon on Sept 7, 2011 4:14:51 GMT
I know but I'm talking about spinosaurus swimming. It just doesn't seem to be built like an aquatic animal to me. I was playing around in the pool the other day..putting my head below the water with my back above and my feet on the bottom just walking along slightly bent over ..if I posed my hands like a Spino's claws it would have worked pretty well to catch anything that happened by in shallower water like that. So maybe now actual swimming..but still moving through the water to a depth they could touch bottom. ? |
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Post by eriorguez on Sept 7, 2011 9:43:32 GMT
Theropods could swim. Most tetrapods can, the ones who aren't able to and have to learn are those with awkward shapes. Like apes. |
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Post by Griffin on Sept 7, 2011 14:48:15 GMT
I know but I'm talking about spinosaurus swimming. It just doesn't seem to be built like an aquatic animal to me. I was playing around in the pool the other day..putting my head below the water with my back above and my feet on the bottom just walking along slightly bent over ..if I posed my hands like a Spino's claws it would have worked pretty well to catch anything that happened by in shallower water like that. So maybe now actual swimming..but still moving through the water to a depth they could touch bottom. ? Well yes I said before I'm all for the wading theory. And yes I'm sure it could swim if it had to but thats different from saying it was designed for swimming. Like eriorguez said most animals can swim but many are not considered aquatic animals. A wolf or a donkey can swim but is are they designed for a life in the water? |
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Post by Blade-of-the-Moon on Sept 7, 2011 16:07:34 GMT
Honestly I just thought it was pretty cool and totally made sense when I did it.. lol
Most of the features that would make it designed for swimming..would have been mostly on the surface...like webbing on a duck perhaps ?
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Nostrils back towards the eyes. Admittedly raised on a hump. However I do agree on the fish catching scenario rather than croc like swimming, that sail would make it hard to swim cross-ways against the current.