Episode 431: Was T. rex as sensible as a baboon?


Episode 431: Was T. rex as sensible as a baboon? Plus Evan Johnson-Ransom and Julius Csotonyi be a part of us to debate their new huge guide titled Dinosaur World: Over 1,200 Superb Dinosaurs, Well-known Fossils, and the Newest Discoveries from the Prehistoric Period

Information:

  • A brand new examine claims that theropods had been as clever as primates (however not everybody agrees) supply
  • A single Allosaurus had 10 pathologies supply
  • An ornithomimosaur was injured by way of blunt drive trauma to its foot supply

Interview:

Julius and Evan be a part of to speak about their new guide. Evan Johnson-Ransom is a PhD pupil on the College of Chicago a learning the practical morphology and feeding conduct of dinosaurs. Julius Csotonyi is a proficient paleoartist who has created life-sized dinosaur murals for a lot of museums and likewise illustrated the brand new guide Dinosaur World which Evan wrote.

Sponsors:

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Picture by Alexoatss

The dinosaur of the day: Lurdusaurus

  • Iguanodont that lived within the Early Cretaceous in what’s now Niger (Elrhaz Formation)
  • Regarded much like Iguanodon, however greater
  • So huge, most likely quadrupedal
  • Estimated to be about 23 to 30 ft (7 to 9 m) lengthy and about 6.5 ft (2 m) tall when strolling on all fours, however its abdomen would solely be just a little over 2 ft (70 cm) above the bottom (primarily based on the size of the ribs)
  • Weighed about 5.5 tonnes
  • In 2016, Gregory Paul urged Lurdusaurus was about 23 ft (7 m) lengthy and weighed 2.5 tonnes
  • In 2005, You Hailu and others stated Lurdusaurus was categorized in a bunch “distinguished by their massively-constructed physique varieties”
  • Common grownup hadrosaurids are 7 to 12 m lengthy and 3000 kg
  • Taquet and Russell, who formally named Lurdusaurus, described Lurdusaurus as ponderous (very heavy)
  • Mentioned that in a squat posture Lurdusaurus “will need to have considerably resembled ankylosaurs”
  • Nonetheless, additionally stated its small cranium, round chest, highly effective forelimbs and claws, and different components “most likely much more strikingly recalled the type of large floor sloths”
  • Not a typical iguanotontid
  • A big iguanodont, so giant it walked on 4 legs
  • Had a comparatively small cranium, lengthy neck, huge forelimbs and thumb spikes, cumbersome physique, comparatively brief tail and hindlimbs
  • Estimated that the size of the cranium of the holotype was about 2.9 ft (83.3 cm) lengthy
  • Had a beak (again of the cranium was about 30 cm vast and entrance was 20 cm, so didn’t have a duck-like invoice)
  • Had between 12 and 14 neck vertebrae, and its neck estimated to be 5.3 ft (1.6 m) lengthy
  • Tail about 13 ft (4 m) lengthy
  • Had giant, stout limbs
  • Forelimbs are about 60% the dimensions of the hindlimbs
  • Had a brief, highly effective pelvis, considerably much like ceratopsians
  • Femur has options like ceratopsians and sauropods
  • Wrist bones had been fused right into a block
  • Had a big thumb spike
  • Taquet and Russell described the wrist and thumb claw as “paying homage to a mace-and-chain”
  • In all probability used its thumb spike for protection
  • Taquet and Russell discovered that the bones within the foot had been lowered, so the metatarsals (bones main as much as the toes) “misplaced contact with one another, and {that a} fleshy pad will need to have supported many of the weight borne by the foot”
  • In 2007 Tom Holtz urged Lurdusaurus acted like a hippo and was semi-aquatic (solely urged although, no research round this)
  • Like a hippo, was stocky and often moved gradual however may transfer quick when wanted
  • Might be why there’s paleoart of Lurdusaurus swimming (with solely the top above water)
  • Kind species is Lurdusaurus arenatus
  • Fossils present in 1965 by Philippe Taquet
  • Holotype is an almost full grownup specimen, with a fragmentary cranium
  • Holotype solely lacking a part of the cranium, the sacrum, and loads of the foot
  • Discovered tooth punctures across the pubic bones, that had been partly re-healed
  • Taquet stated it was giant and in 1976 in a short description stated it ought to most likely be its personal genus
  • In 1988 Souad Chabli described the specimen for her thesis and named it “Gravisaurus tenerensis” however her thesis was not printed
  • Formally named in 1999 by Taquet and Dale Russell
  • Additionally referred a fraction of a dentary (decrease jaw) and proper coracoid (a part of the shoulder) to Lurdusaurus
  • Genus title means “heavy lizard”
  • Species title means “sandy” and refers back to the fossils being present in a desert
  • Lived in a tropical forest
  • Different dinosaurs that lived across the similar time and place embrace iguanodonts Elrhazosaurus and Ouranosaurus, the sauropod Nigersaurus, titanosaurs, the spinosaurid Suchomimus, the carcharodontosaurid Eocarcharia, the abelisaurid Kryptops, and noasaurids
  • Different animals that lived across the similar time and place embrace crocodylomorphs and pterosaurs

Enjoyable Reality:

Stegosaurus didn’t have a second mind on the base of its tail—however that was an actual speculation proposed by O.C. Marsh.

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