Dimetrodon Tribute

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Elukka: Feb 18, 2011; For All Mankind

While we're talking about things with sails, Spinosaurus is now aquatic.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/04/spinosaurus-graphic-reconstructing-gigantic-aquatic-predator/

You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like. Actually you should like it, it's really really weird and awesome.

# ¿ Jul 23, 2020 22:33

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# ¿ May 17, 2024 01:49

Elukka: Feb 18, 2011; For All Mankind

Elukka fucked around with this message at 22:50 on Jul 23, 2020

# ¿ Jul 23, 2020 22:47

Elukka: Feb 18, 2011; For All Mankind

Leperflesh posted:

That low-rent dino who can't even make up his mind whether to be a land animal or a water animal only got to exist at all because dimetrodon was already extinct millions of years by then. Peak performance had already happened.

He's not even the best dino ankylosaurus or the best water-based hunter (sharks were there before, during, and after).

What do you think about Liaoningosaurus, the possibly semi-aquatic, fish-eating ankylosaur?

Elukka fucked around with this message at 22:52 on Jul 23, 2020

# ¿ Jul 23, 2020 22:50

Elukka: Feb 18, 2011; For All Mankind

There are an assload of different Dimetrodons. That's not even all of them. There are currently 13 recognized species.

Some of them are eating each other. That's not very nice.

# ¿ Jul 24, 2020 00:01

Elukka: Feb 18, 2011; For All Mankind

Mak0rz posted:

Being a basal trait doesn't necessarily mean all descendent species have that trait. It could be secondarily lost entirely in some groups.

That said, there's probably more reason to believe T. rex had feathers at some point in its life than not, for the reasons you said.

Yeah. It seems most dinosaurs were scaly, but it also seems possible some kind of filamentation was fairly basal. Maybe the feather -> scale progression was common.

For Tyrannosaurus there is a bunch of evidence of scales and no evidence of feathers, but I guess its family tree can keep the feathers of the gaps alive.

I'm unsure if feathers actually are basal, though. Is there anything to point that way other than Kulindadromeus? Maybe it was just weird and turned its scales into filaments by its own.

Elukka fucked around with this message at 19:17 on Apr 8, 2021

# ¿ Apr 8, 2021 19:14

Elukka: Feb 18, 2011; For All Mankind

SniperWoreConverse posted:

Fun feather facts:

"In the case of green plumage, in addition to yellow, the specific feather structure involved is called by some the Dyck texture."

E:
"Feathers and scales are made up of two distinct forms of keratin, and it was long thought that each type of keratin was exclusive to each skin structure (feathers and scales). However, a study published in 2006 confirmed the presence of feather keratin in the early stages of development of American alligator scales. This type of keratin, previously thought to be specific to feathers, is suppressed during embryological development of the alligator and so is not present in the scales of mature alligators. The presence of this homologous keratin in both birds and crocodilians indicates that it was inherited from a common ancestor. This may suggest that crocodilian scales, bird and dinosaur feathers, and pterosaur pycnofibres are all developmental expressions of the same primitive archosaur skin structures; suggesting that feathers and pycnofibers could be homologous."
Neat

These are indeed fun feather facts.

Maybe feathers and scales are a flexible part of the archosaur toolbox and they can evolve either without much trouble, and may have gone back and forth in many branches of the family tree?

Also archosauria is the coolest clade name.

# ¿ Apr 8, 2021 20:40

Elukka: Feb 18, 2011; For All Mankind

Anyone know how Dimetrodons are as pets?

# ¿ Jun 19, 2021 09:10

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# ¿ May 17, 2024 01:49

Elukka: Feb 18, 2011; For All Mankind

We need a Dimetrodon thumbs up +10 emote.

# ¿ Aug 4, 2021 15:48

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