No doubt everyone remembers the horrid Tyrannosaurus scavenging fiasco that happened way back in 200-something. I won't go into that right now because a) that's not what this post is about, and b) there are far too many flaws in it.
Paleontologist FAIL
Horner's come up with two new hypotheses as of late. One (the one that has actually been published) deals with the synonymization of Pachycehaplosaurus, Stygimoloch, and Dracorex (best name EVAR). This one, having read the paper, sounds right to me. But his other idea... oh boy.
Everyone knows Torosaurus and Triceratops are closely related. Horner took it a step further, and suggested that Toro is simply the final growth stage of Trike. I'm skeptical, as one could surmise by reading the title.
1. Torosaurus averages out at about 25 feet, while Triceratops rounds out to approximately 30 ft. Okay, so Trikes grew huge, and then shrunk 5 feet?*
2. Triceratops must have gone through an awfully big change very late in life...I mean, the horns straightened out, the skull elongated and holes grew in, and all the epoccipital shrunk in.
However, I did notice some odd looking skulls that have features of both Trike and Toro...
Paleontologist FAIL
Horner's come up with two new hypotheses as of late. One (the one that has actually been published) deals with the synonymization of Pachycehaplosaurus, Stygimoloch, and Dracorex (best name EVAR). This one, having read the paper, sounds right to me. But his other idea... oh boy.
Everyone knows Torosaurus and Triceratops are closely related. Horner took it a step further, and suggested that Toro is simply the final growth stage of Trike. I'm skeptical, as one could surmise by reading the title.
1. Torosaurus averages out at about 25 feet, while Triceratops rounds out to approximately 30 ft. Okay, so Trikes grew huge, and then shrunk 5 feet?*
2. Triceratops must have gone through an awfully big change very late in life...I mean, the horns straightened out, the skull elongated and holes grew in, and all the epoccipital shrunk in.
However, I did notice some odd looking skulls that have features of both Trike and Toro...
From the Triceratops Wikipedia page
From the Museum of the Rockies' Website
As you can see the first is the classic specimen on display at AMNH. If it weren't for the solid skull, no doubt this would have been reclassified as Torosaurus (or not, whatever. Taxonomy is confusing), and the second looks much more like a Trike, but has small holes developing.
In conclusion: I DUNNO LOL.
1)"Torosaurus averages out at about 25 feet, while Triceratops rounds out to approximately 30 ft. Okay, so Trikes grew huge, and then shrunk 5 feet?"
ReplyDelete2 me we r missin somethin. We miss data or we r misunderstoodin horner. its not possible dat horner is DAT crazy 4 believin a ceratopsid would shrunk...
Bdw, there is pseudis paradoxa, a frog species, dat actually decreases in size
Tadpoles r 25 cm/10 in long, and adults r 7,5 cm /2,5 in long
2)"Triceratops must have gone through an awfully big change very late in life...I mean, the horns straightened out, the skull elongated and holes grew in, and all the epoccipital shrunk in"
Da same applies on dracored and stymoloch (urself XD), but u dont disagree there. WHY?
And bdw there is at least an archosauromorph whose horns or spikes shrunks in size as it ages
Turtles r achosauromorphs like ceratopsids
Juvenile graptemys
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Graptemys_nigrinoda_hatchlings.jpg
Adult graptemys
http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/wp-content/uploads/image/Photos/G_nigrinodaWeb.jpg
U see graptemys nobs and spikes decreases in size in adulthood
Oder vertebrates do so, like eutelestome vertebrates (dat includes tetrapods):
Juvenile platax
http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/884/45010408.JPG
Adult platax
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Platax_orbicularis_in_Sea_Life_Helsinki.JPG/240px-Platax_orbicularis_in_Sea_Life_Helsinki.JPG
U see deir dorsal and ventral fins decreases dramatically in size as it ages...
Bdw, remember dinos could be much more "alien-like" than we imagine... would have u ever imagined FOUR-WINGED flyin animal? Microraptor exists! ;)
Could've sworn I'd replied to this, but whatever:
ReplyDelete1. Perhaps Horner is missing the data? He "missed" an awful lot of data on his T. rex scavenging thingy.
2. In Draco-Stygi-Pachy, the changes weren't nearly as extreme, and it wasn't AS late in life as what Horner is proposing.
Perhaps when it is published I'll be swayed, but from then I'll remain agnostic on this point.
An emphatic YES to dinosaurs being more alien. I agree, but I need MOAR EVIDENCE!
Good to see you Al!
:)
ReplyDelete1)IMO even horner himself didnt believe in his rex scavengin hypothesis. He cannot be DAT stupid. Oderwise he should be already fired from palaeontology community
2)Have u da "pachy=stygy=dracorex" paper?
Bdw, i know dat "trike=toro" paper is comin soon... but i dont know when
Ummm... im not Al
ReplyDeleteU r actually Al
Ur account says so XD
1) But he published a paper about it, and mentioned it numerous in books! Either he has a personality disorder, or is a LIAR!
ReplyDeleteBTW, can you be fired from any scientific community? I mean, it's kind of a non-profit organization (asides from the outrageously priced Journal of Paleontology...)
2. http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0007626
Thank da LAWD for Pl0s One!
3. LOL Yeah, my name is Alex, but that sounded to formal, so I decided to either put "Carlos Spicy Weiner" or "Al". Did I make the right choice? :P