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 Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 9:53 am
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: Teh Cheryl
Prize Preferences: 6, 5
Prompt: 2
What's so interesting about that? Poposauridae is a family of large carnivorous archosaurs. While originally believed to be theropod dinosaurs, more recent research has shown them to be more similar to crocodiles. At least some Poposauridae were bipedal or capable of bipedal locomotion. One researcher has suggested that they are direct descendants of the T. Rex as they share similarities in the shape of the skull and pelvis, but others have pointed out that they have a similar wrist/ankle structure to crocodiles.
Rauisuchia is a group of mostly large Triassic archosaurs. "Rauisuchia" is, interstingly, considered a wastebin taxon, meaning that it is a taxon that is made for things that don't fit anywhere else. Because of this, in scientific literature, the name is usually in quotation marks. Rauisuchians legs are oriented beneath the body rather than outward. This is more often seen as a dinosaur trait but it appears that this developed independently (which can be seen in variations on how this gait is achieved because dinosaurs and Rauisuchia).
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Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 10:38 am
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: Divena
Prize Preferences: 1, 4, 3, 2, reroll
Prompt: 1
What's so interesting about that? The closest living relatives to the crocodilians are birds. Both birds and crocodilians show evidence of having evolved from the Archosaurs. The Archosaurs are a group of extinct diapsid amniotes, which includes extinct dinosaurs as well as the birds and crocodilians. So, basically, birds and crocodilians are very small dinosaurs.
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: Divena
Prize Preferences: 1, 4, 3, 2, reroll
Prompt: 2
What's so interesting about that? Proposaurids are known from fossils found in North and South America. Originally, because of features of the skull and bipedal locomotion, we thought that they were theropod dinosaurs. However, after cladistics analysis, we learned that they are actually closer to crocodiles. They can grow up to 4 meters long, which would be slightly more than 13 feet if you’re not familiar with how big that would be. Though it’s taken awhile to find enough specimens to perform more accurate studies, we’ve managed to confirm the Popsaurus was an obligatory bipedal animal. This stance is thought to develop from the ability to “high walk,” which consists of adjusting their limbs so they’re almost vertical to the ground. That enables them to lift their belly and often their tail off the ground.
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Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 10:47 am
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: Divena
Prize Preferences: 1, 4, 3, 2, reroll
Prompt: 3
What's so interesting about that? The Phytosaurs bear a strong resemblance to the modern crocodilians. Despite the first fossils found that indicated the Phytosaurs were plant eaters, the sharp teeth in their jaws clearly showed that they were predators, like the crocodilians. In my opinion, the crocodile is an apex predator, having evolved to be the king of its own little domain. This is further evidenced by the fact it’s still around while other creatures have long since died out. The strongest survive, so it makes sense that other predators will share traits with a race that is still thriving today.
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Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 4:43 pm
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: Rein-Carnation
Prize Preferences: 1, 7, 3, 2, 4
Prompt : 8
What's so interesting about that?
Paleontologists studying dinosaur bones has lead to many a miraculous findings. For instance findings a muscle scarred fossil leg bones can educate us how early species of dinosaurs grew from hatchlings to adults. These creatures along with their close relatives showed much more variation with growth patterns then we'd ever expect. A geosciences master's student found in his study etched in the fossil bones of a Asilisaurus kongwe which lived 10 million years earlier than the oldest known dinosaurs. The Asilisaurus is grouped with the silesaurids that are very close cousins to the dinosaurs we love to learn about. These fascinating studies can include data about pace of growth, relative age, date of death, and overall knowledge helping us understand these amazing creatures and how they evolved to the creatures flourishing today.
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Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 5:11 pm
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: Rein-Carnation
Prize Preferences: 1, 7, 3, 2, 4
Prompt : 9
What's so interesting about that?
I'll say this first through all this research it's even taught my husband more about the Crocodilians he loves so much. The most interesting thing I think that opened my eyes is based around the fossils. This includes the "thin sections" of course but the sheer knowledge of knowing how a creature survived and died is epic within its own right for research. Scientists have traveled so far in the world of discovery but I think utilizing knowledge of fossils may help better our ways of thinking for future generations. Another thing I found mind-blowing is the pigment in feathers which I'd be amused to see on a gator or croc someday if they evolve in that direction. Perhaps someday they will sprout feathers of a colorful variety. Possibly like the flamingos I learned about in the Bahamas eating the pink shrimp which caused their feathers to become bright pink from pigmentation. I'd be amused to actually see a bright pink gator that had a fancy for pink shrimp.
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Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 5:57 pm
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: LunaRei_SilverBlood
Prize Preferences: 2 - reroll
Prompt: 5
What's so interesting about that?
Rauisuchians are thought to have played the largest predator role that would be filled by Theropod. But it looks like Aetosaurs were thought of as the scavengers. Some of them had the characteristics to dig. However there seems to be not as much information on Sphensuchians. And from what I can tell they interacted in the sense of co-existing with dinosaurs until extinction.
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: LunaRei_SilverBlood
Prize Preferences: 2 - reroll
Prompt: 6
What's so interesting about that?
Structural colors are produced as light is refracted by proteins in the feathers. Pigment on the other hand is a little more detailed. Carotenoids are created by eating plants or something that has eaten a plant because it's produced in plants. Melanin's is Dark black to light browns and pale yellows. It provides strength to feathers, all white feathers are weak. Lastly, Porphyrins are created by modifying amino acids.
Now as for the 2nd part of the question, possibly. Each of the above gives a RANGE of color, so it's possible to narrow it down but I don't feel that it would be 100% accurate.
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Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 6:29 pm
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: Teh Cheryl
Prize Preferences: 6 5
Prompt: 4
What's so interesting about that? Ancient rocodiles had some very different features, such as bipedal postures and vegetarian diets. In addition, archosaurs had their nostrils on the tops of their heads instead of the tips of snouts like modern crocodiles. Some earlier crocodiles were small, two-legged sprinters. Later period evolution has shown that they slowly became more marine and aquatic like. Some have suggested that certain ancient crocodiles might have even eaten krill and plankton like some modern whales.
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Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 6:55 pm
Letting you know that I have won a big prize and would like to taken out of the running for anything but the familiars!
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Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 8:03 pm
Letting you know I won a familiar for the event and am only eligible for the soq's.
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 12:44 am
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username:Tiger_Kisa699
Prize Preferences:1,2, 3, 7, 4, 5, 6
Prompt:4 :How are ancient crocodile relatives like aetosaurs, rauisuchians, and sphenosuchians different from modern day crocodilians?
What's so interesting about that?
Modern day Crocodilians tend to be much smaller then ancient crocodilians. Rauisuchians were much bigger then Aetosaurs, 4-5 meters long. And Aetosaurs tended to be more herbivorous then most any other crocodilians, and were also heavily armored. The ancient crocodilians also do not have a secondary bony plate in their wrists. Modern Crocs can walk with their limbs spread out to the sides or to use them to push themselves into an erect position if they needed to. Not all of their ancestors could do both, one or the other depending but not both.
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 11:13 am
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: .Tortured. .Pumpkin.
Prize Preferences: 2, 7, 3, 1, 6, 5
Prompt: 6
What's so interesting about that?
Structural colors result from light reflecting off of nanostructures such as collagen, cellulose, chitin, and keratin. They do not actually have a color - they're just perceived to due to the way our eyes see the reflections.
Pigments, however, are molecules that give off color based on how much light they absorb and reflect. Pigments fade and can decompose over time, structural colors cannot.
That means that we very well may be able to tell the feather color of ancient dinosaurs - so long as they had structural colors. Like I said, pigments can decompose and fade, so being able to pinpoint a particular color based on a tiny sample size of deteriorated pigment would be difficult. But depending on the integrity of the fossil, the structural colors may be discernible.
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 11:29 am
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: .Tortured. .Pumpkin.
Prize Preferences: 2, 7, 3, 1, 6, 5
Prompt: 7
What's so interesting about that?
Honestly, I'm a scientific idiot, so I don't know if you mean straight up just molecules, or maybe cells, so I'mma give this a shot and hope I'm doing it right. XD
While they haven't really found any samples that have had reliable DNA in them, scientists have found other useful information in their bones and even soft tissues that have been discovered. Specifically, they've found keratin and collagen. Scientists can't entirely explain this finding, as they thought that they would have decomposed completely after 1 million years. Keratin and collagen are found in almost every living animal today, so it shouldn't be a big surprise that prehistoric beings had similarities in their anatomies.
One possible explanation for the discovery of pliable soft tissue made of these materials is that the iron in the dinosaurs' blood preserved the tissues before they rotted away.
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 11:47 am
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: .Tortured. .Pumpkin.
Prize Preferences: 2, 7, 3, 1, 6, 5
Prompt: 8
What's so interesting about that?
I found some interesting on the Pterodaustro guinazui, an Early Cretaceous filter-feeder. Using bone histology, researchers have been able to identify bone growth trends of pterosaurs, which seems to resemble that of modern-day birds. Looking at microstructures of the bones of different individuals also helped to shed light on living adaptations made before the species was lost. They also discovered that this particular species had an incredibly rich blood supply to the bones - more so than what we see today. They also discovered that the teeth did not have a "plywood" type construction, which disproves that it is common among most pterosaurs, which was once believed to be the case.
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 11:57 am
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...? Username: .Tortured. .Pumpkin. Prize Preferences: 2, 7, 3, 1, 6, 5 Prompt: BONUS ROUND YO What's so interesting about that? Honestly, this was so interesting altogether. XD I never even knew that there was such a thing as structural color before this. I found this article to be hella helpful, as well as really enlightening. Also, I feel like this was kind of sort of "common" knowledge, but I genuinely never knew that crocodiles are as closely related to birds as they are. I mean, I feel like there was a feeling of "everything is related," but birds being cousins to a croc seems really surprising to me for some reason. XD ALSO, that ancient crocs =/= dinosaurs. I never realized that. I just sort of assumed that everything prehistoric was considered a dinosaur. And now that I know better I feel really bad about it and did a little extra research to see what was what. Altogether, I loved this game. XD I'm really glad that it's got a decent amount of time to it so others can learn the magical things about crocs and saurs! <3
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Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:27 pm
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: Fatal Irony
Prize Preferences: 1, 2, 4, 7, 3, 5, 6
Prompt: Prompt 4
What's so interesting about that?
Aetosaurs, rauisuchians, and sphenosuchians differ from modern crocodiles in a few distinct ways. First, the ankle structure is more primitive than any crocodile. There is also a bony secondary palate that allows crocodiles to breath despite the mouth being full of water that the earlier creatures lack. Lastly, the nostril placement is different, having moved from above the eyes to the end of the snout.
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Reply
