Comments on: Raptorex shows that T.rex body plan evolved at 100th the size

By: Peter Mihalda

Peter Mihalda — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:58:42 +0000

Some error appeared – I meant 1,5 – 2 tonnes.
Peter Mihalda

By: Peter Mihalda

Peter Mihalda — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:56:29 +0000

The weight of T rex is greatly exaggerated – depends on its skull, it weighed some – tonnes.
What is more important from an evolutionary point of view is that tyrannosaurs are quite primitive theropods, they still have amphicoelous dorsals. The thing is, once opisthocoely is evolved, it never turns back to amphicoely. Something that cladistics is impossible to solve. So Torvosaurus et al were more derived theropods.
I do not understand why people bother with questions whether T rex was a scavenger or not when it is impossible to answer…
Peter Mihalda

By: michael

michael — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:46:25 +0000

So what does this do to the arguement that TREX was a scavenger ? Part of the arguement was the huge olfactory bulbs and also the size of trex made him able to drive on other predators. So we now have this small one that must have hunted ?

By: Kilian Hekhuis

Kilian Hekhuis — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:22:28 +0000

So… what’s up with the ridiculous hairdo? (Of the Raptorex, not Serano )

By: françoise ibarrondo

françoise ibarrondo — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:36:25 +0000

I wonder which/how many fossil(s) have been used as an external comparison to identify these shared derived (ancestral modified) characters in the 3 act story of tyrannosaur evolution.
françoise

By: françoise ibarrondo

françoise ibarrondo — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 12:14:33 +0000

I wonder which/how many reptile fossils have been used as a comparison to identify these shared derived (ancestral modified) characters in the 3 act story of tyrannosaurus evolution
françoise

By: françoise ibarrondo

françoise ibarrondo — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:33:19 +0000

I wonder which/how many dino fossils have been used to identify these shared derived (ancestral modified) characters in the 3 act story of ryrannosaur evolution.
françoise

By: Richard Hamilton

Richard Hamilton — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 05:12:51 +0000

“Raptorex”???
are you joking?

By: Zach Miller

Zach Miller — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 01:12:37 +0000

Bill Parker and Nick Gardner sent me the paper. Wonderful animal, and a real surprise, too. I’m surprised that there’s such a large morphological gap between Raptorex and Dilong/Guanlong. I wish the paper included photos of the fossil in situ, though. This was a 3D fossil, right?

By: Bob Johnson

Bob Johnson — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 16:53:15 +0000

Can you visualize Jesus playing with one of these killing machines?
Land shark comes to mind.