Jurassic World Movie News

Bad news for Spino

Deltadromeus

MemberCompsognathusSeptember 01, 20133600 Views56 Replies
When I was thinking about Spinosaurs, I realized that none of them live in America. At least North America, and this makes me wonder, "why"? Spinosaurs in the north isn't as rare as it might be. Suchosaurus, Baryonyx, and I bet even Icthiovenator lived above the equator sometimes. Also, why where they so big, and yet they lived in places where food was small, or just too big. Ie, in Africa the only real good food source is Ouranosaurus. It is the perfect size for a meal, and Aegyptosaurus is to big to be attacked regularly. It really lacks herbivores, and yet it grows huge. same of Oxalaia, it lived in a place of nearly no hadrosaurs and only sauropods that only the biggest or packs would take on. That means that they relied very heavily on fish for their diet. Hadrosaurs and Ceratopsians really aren't on the menu. Why haven't any Spinosaurs been found in America? Well I think that they where out competed by the tyrannosaurs, or even Acrocanthosaurus. And correct me if im wrong (and my ancient geography isnt good at all) but america wasnt the wettest country there was. spinosaurs seem to live in places where lost of water surrounded it, like africa, with its see going In the middle. there where rivers in america, but i dotn think anything lived in the rivers big enough to sustain a large spinosaur. But there is a very different side to this story. One, Siamosaurus and Siamotyrannus lived together and they both thrived. Two, and this is almost a life changing thing about Spinosaurus, is that Spino is probably a LOT heavier than we originally thought. In my theropod discussion, I DinoFights made a comment that basically said that compares a Ornithomimus to a Spinosaurus. And how an 18 meter Ornithomimus would be peretty heavy, and since Spino is sooo much thicker than Ornithomimus, that it would be calling a 12 ton Spinosaurus on the lighter side. I also have something to argue with that. A 12+ ton Spinosaurus wouldn't be able to stand, which means that it would need to be soley in the water for most of its life, and that can't really happen. There is only so much weight that two legs can support and the heavier you get, the stronger your legs need to be, which also means you get heavier, and that means that your legs have to support more. Even if you have shorter legs like Spinosaurus, you could only be able to support so much weight. Also, the strength of its legs would start to fall behind if a theropod gets just to big, fan even as they get thicker, the rest of the body gets thicker at a faster rate. Basically what I'm saying is an 11 tons Spinosaurus would have trouble standing without help, so a 12+ ton Spinosaur would need to be supported by the water, meaning it could catch fish, and really only fish, so then why is it so heavy? It would just waste energy, and nature doesn't waste. This happens for all theropods, so there is size limit for the size of a theropod and weight. I do apologize for the grammar and spelling mistakes, I really hate doing revising on any day, even if it is a dinosaur paper. All I'm saying is that Spinosaurs didn't live in America for a reason. The hadrosaurs and Ceratopsians. They are made to survive very strong dinosaur attacks, and the Spinosaurs really aren't durable enough. I'd like to hear what you say, of course, I'd need to turn up the adio on my IPad and you speak into a speaker. You know, what, just make a comment and we won't have to go thought eh trouble of figuring something out. These are my opinions too, and I don't want anybody saying that I'm wrong, okay. We all have opinions and I probably disagree with you. That doesn't mean you are wrong and I'm write. Just telling you, although you probably already know.

Hi

User Avatar
DinoFights
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
Yeah because it makes Spino sound inferior.
Announcement Coming Soon Prepare yourselves, DinoFans!
User Avatar
Dinosaur.Fanatic
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
Exactly.

"Either way, you probably won't get off this island alive."

--Alan Grant

User Avatar
Dinosaur.Fanatic
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
Exactly.

"Either way, you probably won't get off this island alive."

--Alan Grant

User Avatar
Deltadromeus
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
I'm sayian that Spino has to be light, its not about T. rex at all. That's another discussion.

Hi

User Avatar
DinoFights
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
Not necessarily. The "it has to be light" argument is based off of a hypothetical limit that isn't confirmed. Refer to the juvenile diplodocid and alleged new adult Camarasaurus footprints suggesting it ran on two legs for a good distance and Camarasaurus weighed at least 25 tons, possibly up to 45.
Announcement Coming Soon Prepare yourselves, DinoFans!
User Avatar
Deltadromeus
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
There is a difference between short bursts and always on your back legs. A young diplodocus doesn't really count for much, its relly light anyways. Think of it differently. How come a Giganotosaurus isn't as thick as a T. rex? It could give it more protection against sauropod tails, and it probably doesn't jump on its prey either. If it was as thick as a T. rex, then it would be around ten tons, which no biped is thought to get too. Why? Because its just to heavy for two legs to carry. Look at the smaller dinosaurs. Most of them run faster than the big ones, and they have much smaller legs to. They are comparatively lighter, but wouldn't that mean less muscule. Yes, but the strength: weight ratio of the smaller and lighter dinosaurs is much higher than the strength:weight ratio of the bigger dinosaurs.

Hi

User Avatar
Rex Fan 684
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
Whoa, Delta just went really scientific on us, haha. I'm not even going to say anything about the whole Spinosaurus weight debate. We all know what I'd say ;)
"Men like me don't start the wars. We just die in them. We've always died in them, and we always will. We don't expect any praise for it, no parades. No one knows our names." ―Alpha-98
User Avatar
DinoFights
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
It isn't as thick because it sacrificed bulk for speed, agility, flexibility and a well balanced body, all things you need when avoiding tail whips and stomps from a 100+ foot Argentinosaurus without missing a chance at an attack. What I'm saying is it makes no sense that one spinosaur would be thin when the rest are robust. It also happens to be the most land based and that would be a dangerous world for an animal under 12 tons, being filled with multiple species of 40+ foot giants like Carcharodontosaurus, Sauroniops, Bahariasaurus, Saurophagus (may be late jurassic actually) and even Sarcosuchus. The area Spinosaurus lived in was a lush oceany habitat with rivers and other bodies of water nearby and all dinosaurs there are adapted for ichthyophagy, excluding carcharodontosaurs and Bahariasaurus which may have ate the crocodiles or other dinosaurs. So it stands to say that Spinosaurus spent a lot of time in water, which relieved the weight, and when on land the ridge may have had something to do with easing the weight because if you noticed, the bigger a spinosaur is, the bigger its ridge. Also, they have long arms and may have walked quadrupedally on occasion (unlikely, IMO. It would have made their claws dull) but overall I think 12.5 t is the minimum. I say 15 for MSNM v4047, but 12.5 seems reasonable. Factoring in the ridge I say 13 is good. Not what a 17 meter Tyrannosaurus or Giganotosaurus would weigh (17 and 15-16, respectively) Here's Spino compared to Sue [img]http://img849.imageshack.us/img849/473/overheadskeletal.jpg[/img] The top figure would have to be as thin as the middle to be under 12 t.
Announcement Coming Soon Prepare yourselves, DinoFans!
User Avatar
Rex Fan 684
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
Keep in mind Sue's weight has been recently upgraded to 9-10 tons ;)
"Men like me don't start the wars. We just die in them. We've always died in them, and we always will. We don't expect any praise for it, no parades. No one knows our names." ―Alpha-98
User Avatar
DinoFights
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
That would make Spino even heavier over 16 t. But I don't take that figure, it's ridiculous. Sue would have to look like this [img]http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/330/6/b/tyrannosaurus_upper_limit_size_based_on_ucmp137538_by_gunz103-d5m9psf.jpg[/img] That's a bipedal pig with big teeth and a long tail. This [img]http://th04.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2013/121/1/2/the_tyrant_king_tyrannosaurus_rex_by_fragillimus335-d63o5oy.jpg[/img] Is more accurate, in my opinion.
Announcement Coming Soon Prepare yourselves, DinoFans!
User Avatar
Rex Fan 684
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
Eh, I see a 40 ft Rex weighing at least 8 tons, maybe 9. For the record I did not even bring up Spinosaurus in that comment ;) Besides, Rex and Spino have different proportions and muscle masses. I was just mentioning that to remind people that Tyrannosaurus may be heavier than thought ;)
"Men like me don't start the wars. We just die in them. We've always died in them, and we always will. We don't expect any praise for it, no parades. No one knows our names." ―Alpha-98
User Avatar
DinoFights
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
Well yeah, but this is a Spino discussion. If the Rex in that picture (the biggest known) is 8-10 tons, then that Spino is utterly massive.
Announcement Coming Soon Prepare yourselves, DinoFans!
User Avatar
Rex Fan 684
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
Too massive in my opinion ;)
"Men like me don't start the wars. We just die in them. We've always died in them, and we always will. We don't expect any praise for it, no parades. No one knows our names." ―Alpha-98
User Avatar
Dinosaur.Fanatic
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
I'm with you all the way DinoFights. Spino is not a lean, light predator, it is extremely heavy. This, however, does not mean that Spino couldn't bear it's own weight. Spino had strong, muscular legs. I am personally of the mindset that Spino did not actually swim, and I don't think ANY theropods were built to swim. However, I do think Spino spent a good amount of time standing in rivers, catching fish and crocs with it's long snout.

"Either way, you probably won't get off this island alive."

--Alan Grant

User Avatar
Rex Fan 684
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
If theropods did not swim, then they would be unlike every other group of land dwelling animals.
"Men like me don't start the wars. We just die in them. We've always died in them, and we always will. We don't expect any praise for it, no parades. No one knows our names." ―Alpha-98
User Avatar
DinoFights
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
I'm not sure on swimming. It's dangerous for an animal that spent most of its time in water to not be able to swim.
Announcement Coming Soon Prepare yourselves, DinoFans!
User Avatar
Deltadromeus
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
I think Spino could swim, if it is a fish eater, then it would almost certainly have to. It probably swam by swinging its tail back and forth, at the base of the tail so the rest retains tension.

Hi

User Avatar
Dinosaur.Fanatic
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
Let me rephrase. I believe Spino could swim. However, I feel this was more of a doggy-paddle motion (if you can imagine such a thing). Spino's back legs would have pumped under it while it's arms were out in front. Some think Spino would have gracefully glided under the water like a pliosaur, but theropods are not built this way. The proportion of arms to legs for example, or perhaps the lack of webbing (or similar structure) on the limbs - both of these go against the notion of underwater gliding. Spino's legs were built under it; they were not flexible enough to reach back parallel to the body beside the tail like, for example, a crocodile.

"Either way, you probably won't get off this island alive."

--Alan Grant

User Avatar
Dinosaur.Fanatic
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
Let me rephrase. I believe Spino could swim. However, I feel this was more of a doggy-paddle motion (if you can imagine such a thing). Spino's back legs would have pumped under it while it's arms were out in front. Some think Spino would have gracefully glided under the water like a pliosaur, but theropods are not built this way. The proportion of arms to legs for example, or perhaps the lack of webbing (or similar structure) on the limbs - both of these go against the notion of underwater gliding. Spino's legs were built under it; they were not flexible enough to reach back parallel to the body beside the tail like, for example, a crocodile.

"Either way, you probably won't get off this island alive."

--Alan Grant

User Avatar
DinoFights
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile
There's three ways I see it swimming. 1. Doggy paddling [img]http://i40.tinypic.com/mts11c.jpg[/img] 2. Leg kicking with arms to the side [img]http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/320/c/b/swimming_theropod_by_cheungchungtat-d32z5by.jpg[/img] 3. With its legs and arms back, undulating its tail while using its mouth and sometimes arms to grab prey. [img]http://i27.tinypic.com/2cgfr5c.jpg[/img] But keep in mind that Spinosaurus was at least 25 feet tall and would be able to stand in quite a bit of water.
Announcement Coming Soon Prepare yourselves, DinoFans!

Join the discussion!



Latest Media
Join the discussion!
Please sign in to access your profile features!
(Signing in also removes ads!)



Forgot Password?
Scified Website LogoYour sci-fi community, old-school & modern
Hosted Fansites
AlienFansite
GodzillaFansite
PredatorFansite
Main Menu
Community
Sci-Fi Movies
Help & Info
+

Sign In to contribute!