The Paleontology Thread

[Gomi: Ninja Monster]

I'm not. What the hell about that says hadrosaur?

I mean, I can see it.

[SoggyNoodles2016]

Yeah, ok. I'll admit it's a bit more obvious now.

Still a stretch but that's what'd you'd expect from those guys lol

[LegendZilla]

See.
Thing is Deinotheriidae did split off early from most of the other traditional proboscidea....but you're REALLY overselling it, LZ.

It was not that big of a gap for that kind of radically different evolution. The reasons they are always depicted as elephants is because they basically were elephants. The only real differences were in skull shape and type of teeth (both due to different ecological niches).

By that logic, apes and monkeys can be considered the same thing.

[SoggyNoodles2016]

See.
Thing is Deinotheriidae did split off early from most of the other traditional proboscidea....but you're REALLY overselling it, LZ.

It was not that big of a gap for that kind of radically different evolution. The reasons they are always depicted as elephants is because they basically were elephants. The only real differences were in skull shape and type of teeth (both due to different ecological niches).

By that logic, apes and monkeys can be considered the same thing.

By the logic I literally explained, that comparison is bullshit.

Apes and monkeys are two different parts of the family tree. Deinotheriidae and modern proboscidea are the same branch, just different levels.

Added in 7 minutes :
Like, don't get me wrong. There's usually a lot of differences between members of an Order but from what I've found, Deinotheriidae weren't like that. They only have minor differences

[LegendZilla]

Do any of you mind discussing “what-if” subject matter when it comes to Paleontology? I have an idea: What if the Entelodonts lived a little longer? If they did, they would grow even larger, possibly even to elephantine proportions. On top of that, they just might even grow further in intelligence...

Pretty terrifying huh? What else do you think such a Hypothetical species would be like? What Would make a good name for it?

[Cryptid_Liker]

Do any of you mind discussing “what-if” subject matter when it comes to Paleontology? I have an idea: What if the Entelodonts lived a little longer? If they did, they would grow even larger, possibly even to elephantine proportions. On top of that, they just might even grow further in intelligence...

Pretty terrifying huh? What else do you think such a Hypothetical species would be like? What Would make a good name for it?

I hate thinking about seeing a hell-pig the size of an elephant. Aren't elephants pretty fast when they're angry?

[LegendZilla]

^Technically they weren't actually pigs(suidae), they were their own family.

[SoggyNoodles2016]

I thinkthey probably wouldn't have gotten MUCH bigger, especially not elephant size.

Given the end of the entledonts was the rise of grasslands and being replaced by more traditional carnivorans (cats, dogs, beardogs, etc), I'd imagine two different evolutionary roads: either they'd get slimmer to better compete with wolves and saber toothed cats or become bulkier and more omnivorous to take niches other predators couldn’t/bully them off kills. Sorta pig bears, I guess

[LegendZilla]

I thinkthey probably wouldn't have gotten MUCH bigger, especially not elephant size.

Given the end of the entledonts was the rise of grasslands and being replaced by more traditional carnivorans (cats, dogs, beardogs, etc), I'd imagine two different evolutionary roads: either they'd get slimmer to better compete with wolves and saber toothed cats or become bulkier and more omnivorous to take niches other predators couldn’t/bully them off kills. Sorta pig bears, I guess

They are believed to have been omnivores. If they evolved to be larger they basically would've been like elephants that have meat as part of their diet. In addition, growing higher intelligence like their close relatives, whales and hippos could've been beneficial. It would've allowed the to cooperate.

[Cryptid_Liker]

^Technically they weren't actually pigs(suidae), they were their own family.

Blame the people who nicknamed entelodonts hell-pigs, not me

[tbeasley]

I don't want to imagine the hellish pig-scape of a world ruled by entelodonts, a world of red skies, black clouds and humans only knowing life in cages.

[SoggyNoodles2016]

Lusovenator, a small carcharodontosaurid from Jurassic Portugal, has now been formally announced

[tbeasley]

More SUE -

[Gigantis]

More SUE -

She looks oddly adorable.

[LegendZilla]

More SUE -

She looks oddly adorable.

Most animals are in real life.

[Gomi: Ninja Monster]

More SUE -

AAAAAAA! She's doing the dog face!

So cute!

[JAGzilla]

I'm gonna need to actually get up to Chicago and visit that museum, someday.

[Cryptid_Liker]

Late to the party but that Sue model is gorgeous! So chonky

BTW, remembering the infamous AMNH Rex, and speaking of odd-looking extinct animal reconstructions, i thought y'all should take a look at the Daeodon/Dinohyus model from the Carnegie Museum.



Doesn't look too bad from the sides, but from the front...

Nexpo uploaded this to Twitter, apparently.

[gottatalktothefake]

That looks like a fucking Trevor Henderson pic

[tbeasley]

I really hope Spino looked like this -