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 Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 4:57 pm
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: Sabin Duvert
Prize Preferences: 1, 2, 4, 7, 3, 6, 5
Prompt: 5
What's so interesting about that? Scientists believe that the crocodile line may have reached its peak during the Traissic period. And it was during this period that dinosaurs were still in their infancy; smaller of size and not very diverse. Many Triassic species that were once thought to be dinosaurs have turned out to be crocodilian relatives! Crocodiles diversified during this period, and ultimately at the end, many of the crocidile-like species went extinct and left room/a niche for the rise of the dinosaurs.
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Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 7:08 pm
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: Calixita
Prize Preferences: 1, 4, 2, 3, 7, pass (already won a familiar)
Prompt: 3
What's so interesting about that? Champsosaurs were an order of reptiles that were very similar to crocodiles. They were alive during the Middle Jurassic period to at least the early Miocene period. Some of the features they shared with crocodiles were long snouts, wide leg positions, had laterally compressed tails, and were semi-aquatic. It is likely that they evolved this way due to needing to adapt to survive in the environment they were in.
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Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 8:02 pm
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: Calixita
Prize Preferences: 1, 4, 2, 3, 7, pass (already won a familiar)
Prompt: 6
What's so interesting about that? Structural coloration has more to do with minute particles (ie. the structure of the feathers) and the angles of which they reflect light. Pigment coloration is caused by the absorption or reflection of different wavelengths of color. In fact, the pigment of a bird's feathers can be affected by the food they eat, such as flamingos getting their pink pigments from crustaceans and algae.
While scientists can gain clues on the coloration of feathered dinosaurs with the pigments they have discovered, it's not certain. Pigment doesn't take into consideration the structural coloration the dinosaur feathers may have had. In addition, given the age of the fossils, other particles that could have effected the coloration of a dinosaur's feathers may no longer be in tact.
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Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 8:14 pm
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...? Username: Calixita Prize Preferences: 1, 4, 2, 3, 7, pass (already won a familiar) Prompt: Bonus What's so interesting about that? I found the information I learned about feather coloration interesting. I'm a big fan of feathers and the multitude of colors they come in, so it was neat to learn more about how they get those colors. I heard stories about how eating certain foods can change the color of you skin, but it didn't occur to me that it could happen with animals too, and in fact are the main reason they even exist in certain colors. Also cool that blue pigment doesn't exist in birds; it's a non-iridescent structural color. If you were to shine a black-light on those feathers, the blue wouldn't show up at all. It made me think of how a polar bear's fur is actually transparent (it has no color), but looks white because of how light is reflected off it. Edit: The research also led me to discover the marble berry, which has the most intense blue of any known biological material. So pretty!
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Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 9:01 pm
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: Calixita
Prize Preferences: 1, 4, 2, 3, 7, pass (already won a familiar)
Prompt: 7
What's so interesting about that? Mary Schweitzer was the first to discover preserved red blood cells in a slice of Tyrannosaurus Rex bone fragment. This discovery was only made a little over twenty years ago. Although her findings were met with skepticism, scientists have gone on to discover evidence of amino acids and collagen in its original form from dinosaur fossils. However, these findings remain rare; millions of years have taken their toll on fossils and biological molecules don't often survive.
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Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 9:23 pm
I won a cutie pie! Please take me off the list. :3
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Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 9:38 pm
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: Calixita
Prize Preferences: 1, 4, 2, 3, 7, pass (already won a familiar)
Prompt: 5
What's so interesting about that? Ancient crocodiles played a large role in the Triassic period as some of the top predators of their time. However, dinosaurs eventually won the evolutionary fight to the top and overtook them. Many species of ancient crocodiles went extinct during this time period. In response, while dinosaurs were getting bigger, ancient crocodiles took the opposite route and began evolving into smaller bodies more like the crocodiles we know today.
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Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 10:43 pm
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: Moon_Princess_Yuki
Prize Preferences: 1, 7, 2, 4, 3 (can't win a familiar)
Prompt: 1
What's so interesting about that? The closest living relative to the crocodile is the bird. The branch they've decided happened back when they were a reptilian dino like animal called the Archosaur. We know this because of genetics. Based on the evidence found in the DNA of both crocodiles and birds scientists have learnt that while the modern crocodile hasn't changed that much and birds have changed a lot they are still closely related.
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: Moon_Princess_Yuki
Prize Preferences: 1, 7, 2, 4, 3 (can't win a familiar)
Prompt: 2
What's so interesting about that? Rauisuchia are wastbin taxon. Meaning that they have different presenting phenotypes then the taxons they are genetically close to. Example would be how a rauisuchia happens to have erect legs that go directly down from the body like most mammals. unlike the societies they are closest to that happen to have legs that splay out the side like modern crocodiles.
Poposauride fosslies have been found in both north and south america. Even though they resemble Theropoda dinosaurs, leading scientist to believe they ere from that family, closer inspection of their dna make up revealed they were actually closer related to crocodiles. They actually happen to be apart of the Rauisuchian group.
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Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 8:48 am
ramenli Hello! biggrin While sarcosuchus is awesome, it looks like a crocodile because they are closely related. Please find a critter that looks like a crocodile but that evolved this adaptation separately. Repost your answer rather than editing. ramenli Prize Preferences: 1, 2, 3, 7, 5, 6 Prompt: 1 What's so interesting about that? The animals crocodilia are most related to are birds! Both evolutionary lines are related back to the Archosauria. In fact, they are the only two surviving lines stemming from the Archosaur. We know they're related because of their DNA, due to genome mapping projects. Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...? Username: ramenli Prize Preferences: 1, 2, 3, 7, 5, 6 Prompt: 2 What's so interesting about that? Poposaurids were once found in the Americas, both North and South. They grew anywhere from 2.5 to 5 meters in length. While related to the crocodilia, they were bipedal dinosaurs. Rauisuchians were larger than Poposaurids at 4-6 meters in length.They primarily lived in the Triassic period. They had an erect gait which meant their legs were underneath their body rather than to the side like crocodiles do. Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...? Username: ramenli Prize Preferences: 1, 2, 3, 7, 5, 6 Prompt: 3 What's so interesting about that? The Sarcosuchus appeared a great deal like the modern crocodile. The main difference was that it was approximately two times as long! Due to it's broad snout it's believed that it had a similar diet to the Nile crocodile. With a mouth like that it was probably a great predator, which may have been why it evolved in the same lines as a crocodile. That sort of body would also allow it both on land and in the water, giving it more opportunities to survive. Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...? Username: ramenli Prize Preferences: 1, 2, 3, 7, 5, 6 Prompt: 4 What's so interesting about that? Rausidians had an erect gait compared to crocodilia's sprawling gait. Aetosaurs are thought to be terrestrial only. Also, they may not have made nests and possibly dug for food. Sphenosuchia had skinny limbs, which sets them apart from most crocodiles I've seen! Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...? Username: ramenli Prize Preferences: 1, 2, 3, 7, 5, 6 Prompt: Bonus! What's so interesting about that? So one of the things I researched I didn't use at all! When I was first looking for animals that appeared to resemble crocodiles I wound up searching Komodo dragons. I thought since they were reptilian and squat they might be a relative! Instead I found out that it's thought they really hadn't evolved for millions of years. They were a fairly isolated species that lived on a few islands, and their fossils go back ~4 million years. Again, not related to gators apparently (or at least, not that closely in order to fill the prompt) but still pretty interesting!
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Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 8:52 am
I'm an idiot and put in familiars on my preference list. I just won one last night, so please disregard that! Soquili only~
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Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 9:46 am
ramenli I'm an idiot and put in familiars on my preference list. I just won one last night, so please disregard that! Soquili only~ I don't know if you've done this already, but please edit your preference lists in each of your posts to reflect this. biggrin Thanks!
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Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 10:49 am
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: o-Elixir-o
Prize Preferences: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
Prompt: 3
What's so interesting about that?
The phytosaurs was once thought to be of the crocodile line archosaur. However, research has found that the phytosaurs actually evolved before the split between crocodile and bird line archosaurs. They are the sister taxon of Archosauria. Reptiles evolved more to suit their environment, since their ancestors would catch fish or fast slippery prey but were terrible land hunters.
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Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 11:04 am
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: o-Elixir-o
Prize Preferences: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
Prompt: 4
What's so interesting about that?
The aetosaurs was a heavily armored herbivore. It's appearance was a small head, upturned snot and a body covered with plate like armor. The rauisuchians in appearance had an erect gait with their legs beneath their body rather than sprawling outward, this type of gait is seen in dinosaurs. The sphenosuchians were the earliest group of crocodylomorphs, they were tiny with skulls only 2-6 inches long.
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Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 11:34 am
Mr. Investi-Gator! Did you know that...?
Username: Roserain
Prize Preferences: 4, 7, 1, 2, 6, 5, 3
Prompt: 1
What's so interesting about that? Apparently, scientists at UC Santa Cruz have reconstructed the genome of a common ancestor from 240 million years ago and found that birds are the closest living relatives. Looking at the phylogenetic diagram, it seems that ostriches in particular share the most in common with crocodilians. The archosaurs grouping include dinosaurs, pterosaurs, birds, and crocodilians and that's what they're mapping the genomes of to study the rate of evolutionary growth. They've evolved at a slower pace than mammals, or even the reptiles of today, leaving birds and crocodilians not only much closer to each other, but to the dinosaurs of the past.
(I didn't know that! bookmarking this article for later to read more on the Genome 10k project.)
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