Jurassic World Movie News

Spinosaurus: Evidence For A Sail, Not A Hump

Rex Fan 684

MemberCompsognathusJanuary 05, 20147969 Views34 Replies

It's been stated once and a while that Spinosaurus had a hump rather than a sail. However, I have been doing some digging and came up with three points that support the sail theory.

 

1. It would slow down the animal. Being that big already would have made Spinosaurus pretty slow(20 mph or so). Add a massive, fatty hump, and suddenly he's even heavier, and therefore, slower.

 

2. Spinosaurus lived in the wet, humid environs of middle Cretaceous Africa, not the water-parched deserts inhabited by modern camels. (Ironically, the jungle-like region of northern Africa inhabited by Spinosaurus 100 million years ago is today mostly covered by the Sahara Desert, one of the driest places on earth.) It's hard to imagine that a hump would have been a favored evolutionary adaptation in a place where food (and water) was relatively plentiful.

 

3. A Spinosaurus "spine" was recovered(in 2008 I believe) and it was bitten in half. It's been assumed that the injury was caused by a Carcharodontosaurus. If Spinosaurus had a hump, it would have been very difficult for a Carcharodontosaurus to bite through that thick layer of fat and muscle to reach the bone below(keep in mind Carcharodontosaurus had a pretty weak bite). The only way it could have bitten the spine in half would be if it was relatively exposed with only a thin layer of skin protecting it.

 

So, all in all there seems to be some good evidence supporting the sail theory. However, nothing is certain. I just felt like sharing this with you all. As far as the sail/hump debate, the jury is still out.

 

 

"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
The forgotten king
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile

I agree with the sail

 

welcome to the new age
User Avatar
The forgotten king
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile

But not the slow 20mph part

 

welcome to the new age
User Avatar
Rex Fan 684
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile

I agree with the sail too.

 

As far as speed goes, I meant relatively speaking. We really don't know how fast Spinosaurus was. But being that it weighed at least 4 tons(5-8 for me), I don't think Spinosaurus was a speed demon like Albertosaurus or Deltadromeus.

"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
DinoSteve93
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile

Completely agree, good points RexFan (next time I'll have almost the same theories as someone else, I'll post'em myself, haha)

Proud founder of the site Theropods Wiki! www.theropods.wikia.com

User Avatar
Rex Fan 684
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile

Haha, I do always seem to beat you to it.

"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
Lord Vader
Group: Member
Rank: Tyrannosaurus Rex
View Profile

I agree, and an apex predator (I think Spino could be described as one, it has the size), is going to be slower than a secondary predator. 20 MPH would be a good pace for any large theropod though.

 

Jack of all trades. Master of none

User Avatar
Rex Fan 684
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile

I place Giga, Spino, and Rex in the same speed category. Anywhere between 15 and 25 mph.

"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
DinoSteve93
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile

You beat me on this mainly because I never post my own theories/thoughts. That'll change though! ;)

And 20MPH is good to me.

Proud founder of the site Theropods Wiki! www.theropods.wikia.com

User Avatar
Rex Fan 684
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile

I'll be sure to read what you post :)

"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
Alphadino65
Group: Member
Rank: Triceratops
View Profile

I agree with the sail.  

As well, the neural spines are grouped too closely together for simple skin membranes to be placed between them.  The sail probably looked a lot like the one on the Spino from JP3, where there was skin, fat (however, not too much for the environment's humidity), and connective tissue covering the structure.  

User Avatar
DinoSteve93
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile

I see what you mean Alphadino... and I think that's what RexFan wanted to explain by skin menbranes.

Proud founder of the site Theropods Wiki! www.theropods.wikia.com

User Avatar
Spinosaurus Rex
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile

Ive seen some sites that say it could have been a place for muscle storage, like acrocanthosaurus, maybe it had some at the base, but definately not the entire thing.

User Avatar
Gojira2K
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile

I agree with the theory with the spine/hump theory, and also if you look at a camel it doesn't have bones to help form the hump,  and the hump probably wouldn't be that big to need the bones to keep the hump upright.

 

"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self." - Ernest Hemingway.

User Avatar
Rex Fan 684
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile

Overall I agree with all the comments.

 

Wow Spino Rex. This may be the first thing we've agreed on, haha.

"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
Sinornithosaurus
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile

A hump doesn't have to be big and thick like in that photo you posted, the structure probably would've been about a foot or two wide.

Also, skin can still grow over the hump, which would give all the benefits of a sail.

[url]http://sinornithosaurus.deviantart.com
User Avatar
Rex Fan 684
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile

With neural spines nearly 6 ft high, it's gonna be big.

"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
x_paden_x
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile

Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa...

 

Whoa.

 

WHEN and who though it had a hump? I know, in terms (considering tyranosauarus was 300 to 60 million-ish years a head of it)  It was rather primitive, but such styling for the frame and build would not happen in nature, it doesnt make sense, I know it was in desert like enviroments, but Its not a camel, which doesnt store water but fat... It would infracture its ability to reach top speeds (30 maybe 35 KMH granted that they didnt run like a sportscar) and so many thing that this effects, that doest make sense... 

 

Whos idea was this...?

Life cannot be contained, it breaks walls, crashes through barriers sometimes painfully, but uh... Life uh, finds a way

User Avatar
x_paden_x
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile

ALSO...

 

forgot to mention this, BUT... Everything in nature evolved everything it has for a reason... Why would it evolve a hump, instead of a sail? 

Life cannot be contained, it breaks walls, crashes through barriers sometimes painfully, but uh... Life uh, finds a way

User Avatar
Sinornithosaurus
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile

@x_paden_x

 

A hump wouldn't have to be big and hick like a camel's. It would probably be thin.

 

Also, skin can grow over the hump, which would allow it to work in the same way as a regular sail.

[url]http://sinornithosaurus.deviantart.com
User Avatar
Rex Fan 684
Group: Member
Rank: Compsognathus
View Profile

Paden, I remember GigaDino, DinoFights, and a few others mention it.

 

Sinornithosaurus, with how big Spinosaurus was, it's gonna be big. A hump won't do much good even if it was thin and wouldn't have the same properties as a skin covered sail. With the fat and muscle in the way, it would have a hard time absorbing heat, changing color, or any of the other proposed uses for a sail. All in all, a sail is a lot more likely than a hump.

"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

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!