Favourite dinosaur?

Dave!

Hey folks!

First meaningful thread

Anybody got a favourite dinosaur, and why?

T-Rex is obviously up there... I'm a big fan of brontosaurus too. They just seem so graceful!

GuanYin

Although not strictly a dinosaur, I'm going to go with Mesosaurus as my favorite. Mainly because there is a full size skeleton cast in my local aquarium and it is awesome!

who's yer one?

i always loved iguanadons. dunno what it was about them, they just seemed really cool.
that and brachaiosauruseseses (brachiasauri?)

AlmightyCushion

The velociraptor was until I found out Jurassic Park lied to me.

Blisterman

Pterydactal. Just cause they can fly.

AtomicHorror

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

The velociraptor was until I found out Jurassic Park lied to me.

Miniature, possibly feathered dinosaur. Certainly disappointing. Isn't there a larger cousin that's a bit more impressive though?

RedXIV

Pachycephalosaurus,

Thats the one with the crash helmet built in. Always though it was cool for some reason

AtomicHorror

AtomicHorror wrote: »

Miniature, possibly feathered dinosaur. Certainly disappointing. Isn't there a larger cousin that's a bit more impressive though?

Found it... deinonychus. Also apparently feathered. Well that's my own favorite ruined by modern science.

AlmightyCushion

AtomicHorror wrote: »

Found it... deinonychus. Also apparently feathered. Well that's my own favorite ruined by modern science.

Bah, the feathers make it shíte. Why couldn't science just lie to us????

daisy123

Triceratops, I imagine them to be really laid back, chilled out dinosaur, but when ruffled...CHARGE! Then, back to munching leaves again!

GuanYin

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Why couldn't science just lie to us????

I think the fact it claims the earth is older than 6,000 years old is enough of a lie

AlmightyCushion

What's that earth revoling around the sun malarky about as well? Everyone knows it's the other way around.

daisy123

And the whole Earth being round thing? Pah!

GuanYin

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Bah, the feathers make it shíte. Why couldn't science just lie to us????

On topic, how do they know it had feathers?

Did they fossilize? Could the feathers have come from prey?

Galvasean

Dave! wrote: »

I'm a big fan of brontosaurus too. They just seem so graceful!

The name Brontosaurus is no longer scientifically valid. The name Apatosaurus is used instead. For reasons why just ask and I'll elaborate.

Blisterman wrote: »

Pterydactal. Just cause they can fly.

You mean Pterodactylus? Not strictly a dinosaur either.

AtomicHorror wrote: »

Found it... deinonychus. Also apparently feathered. Well that's my own favorite ruined by modern science.

They have another 'cousin' called Utahrapttor which was 20feet long! :eek:

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Bah, the feathers make it shíte. Why couldn't science just lie to us????

GuanYin wrote: »

On topic, how do they know it had feathers?

Did they fossilize? Could the feathers have come from prey?

FYI feathers on dinosaurs rawk. And yes dromaeosaurs (or raptors as people insist on calling them) did have feathers. There have been several genera/species of dromaeosaur discovered with feathers thus far including Microraptor gui and Velociraptor. And no they certainly were not from prey.
Again for more info. just ask



Now to address the topic at hand! My favourite dinosaur is the mighty Therizinosaurus cheloniformis!

GuanYin

Well you could start threads or just give us the information it is a discussion forum after all!

Galvasean

GuanYin wrote: »

Well you could start threads or just give us the information it is a discussion forum after all!

Thing is I when giving out information on dinosaurs I tend to go on very long tangents which take time to write. of course I'm perfectly happy to but only if people genuinely want to hear it.
Although we could use some more threads...

GuanYin

Galvasean wrote: »

Thing is I when giving out information on dinosaurs I tend to go on very long tangents which take time to write. of course I'm perfectly happy to but only if people genuinely want to hear it.
Although we could use some more threads...

The success of the forum rests on the assumption of people wanting to hear it

zero19

Emmm Velociraptor? Jurassic Park was a childhood favourite

Red Hand

Triceratops was my favourite as a child. Now, I guess I'd go for Trodoon, or Deinonichus (sp?). Velociraptor would make a nice dog sized pet, though.

Dades

I always liked the diplodocus, even if I could never say it right.

And Barney of course.

animan

Although it is not a dinosaur I have to say Lieplourodon(sp?) Just because it was huge.

Galvasean

animan wrote: »

Although it is not a dinosaur I have to say Lieplourodon(sp?) Just because it was huge.

I hate being the harbinger of bad news. Lioplerodon was nowhere near as big as it was in Walking With Dinosaurs (25metres long). Estimates put it at less than 11metres in length. However some of its relatives may have been over 15metres in length. Here's some more info.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liopleurodon

Stoner

mines a
LetYouDownLarryGrimesRaptor

Small little guy, square head and glasses, very hard to catch though, never really show up when they are needed.

Dave!

hmmmm I'm sensing your this extends beyond paleontological matters....... ¬_¬

Mine is a Pleseosaur .

I even went to scotland to see if i could catch a glymps of the Harkness Monster . But it didnt show

Nothingcompares

I have general gripe with dinosaur palaeontology in that there are so many different species and genera of dinosaurs based purely on one or two fragments of fossilised bone. Like, I've never heard of Therizinosaurus sp but according to wikipedia they haven't even found any bones belonging to the skull. How someone can say this is their favourite dinosaur when we hardly know anything about it boggles my mind.

Actually, dinosaur fanboyism reminds me a lot of bird watching. It's just weird.

Going back to when I was a kid and such nonsense like the above wasn't important I would have to say my favourite dinosaur was the Allosaurus. I always envisioned it as the Tiger or top carnivore of the Jurassic period.

Bubs101

These ones

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9OeSfb1r3A

AtomicHorror

Nothingcompares wrote: »

I have general gripe with dinosaur palaeontology in that there are so many different species and genera of dinosaurs based purely on one or two fragments of fossilised bone. Like, I've never heard of Therizinosaurus sp but according to wikipedia they haven't even found any bones belonging to the skull. How someone can say this is their favourite dinosaur when we hardly know anything about it boggles my mind.

The fossil guys seem to know their game pretty well. They've often made predictions based on a couple of bones that have been borne out in later discoveries. I wonder if anyone has any solid data on their success rate?

Galvasean

Nothingcompares wrote: »

I have general gripe with dinosaur palaeontology in that there are so many different species and genera of dinosaurs based purely on one or two fragments of fossilised bone. Like, I've never heard of Therizinosaurus sp but according to wikipedia they haven't even found any bones belonging to the skull. How someone can say this is their favourite dinosaur when we hardly know anything about it boggles my mind.

Well to quote from the wikipedia page you looked at:

The discovery of the enigmatic "segnosaurs", including Alxasaurus in 1993 and Beipiaosaurus in 1996, helped clarify the relationships of Therizinosaurus

hough the fossil remains of Therizinosaurus are incomplete, inferences can be made about its physical characteristics based on related therizinosaurids. Like other members of its family, Therizinosaurus probably had a small skull atop a long neck, with a bipedal gait and a heavy, deep body (as evidenced by the wide pelvis of other therizinosaurids).

That's how we do it. When trying to figure out a creature where only a few bones have been found we generally fill in the gaps based on related creatures. The idea being they would be quite similar. Of course new discoveries might prove that our first guess was completely wrong but isn't that the beauty of palaeontology?
Remember poor old Apatosaurus? Before its head was discovered it was assumed that it had a head similar to Camarasaurus. When the head was actually discovered it turned out that it's head looked more like that of Diplodocus.
Who knows maybe in the future new discoveries will show that it actually looked like this!

Pompey Magnus

Probably Parasaurolophus, I always thought they looked cool with the giant crest. I remember getting a model of a Protoceratops when I was a child, I first thought it was just a rubbish Triceratops but I have since warmed to it.

I never liked Oviraptors, I always considered them to be sneaky bastards.

Nothingcompares

Galvasean wrote: »

Well to quote from the wikipedia page you looked at:

That's how we do it.

what do you mean by that? are you a palaeontologist?

6th

Stegosaurus!

dlofnep

Utahraptor for me. Fast, agile, big, claws from hell.

WindSock

dlofnep

lol brill.

Scarinae

GuanYin wrote: »

On topic, how do they know it had feathers?

Did they fossilize? Could the feathers have come from prey?

Bones aren't the only type of fossils. You can get trace fossils as well, including imprints - I think they found some imprints around velociraptor skeletons that indicated they were feathered. Also, last year in Mongolia they found a velociraptor skeleton with quill knobs along its arms, which are basically the bumps that the feathers come out of.
There is a line of thought that velociraptors used their feathers much the same way that ostriches do today, to help them change directions while running without losing as much speed. It is doubtful that they could actually fly, however, when you consider their body size and weight compared to their forearms.

Incidentally, my favourite dinosaur would probably be a triceratops. I think this stems from when I used to play dinosaurs with my cousin Eoin as a child, and he was always an allosaurus or some other carnivore while I was the herbivore he was hunting. I think a triceratops comes across as well able to stick up for itself!

How nice is it to be able to discuss your favourite dinosaur without other people calling you a dork?!

Galvasean

Fishie wrote: »

Bones aren't the only type of fossils. You can get trace fossils as well, including imprints - I think they found some imprints around velociraptor skeletons that indicated they were feathered. Also, last year in Mongolia they found a velociraptor skeleton with quill knobs along its arms, which are basically the bumps that the feathers come out of.
There is a line of thought that velociraptors used their feathers much the same way that ostriches do today, to help them change directions while running without losing as much speed. It is doubtful that they could actually fly, however, when you consider their body size and weight compared to their forearms.

Some have even theorized that dromaeosaurs ('raptors') evolved from primitive birds.

Fishie wrote: »

How nice is it to be able to discuss your favourite dinosaur without other people calling you a dork?!

That happens? No really, chicks dig fossils.

WindSock

I saw some opalised fossils in Australia. It was quite a treat. This Opal miner guy found them and sent them off to the museum to see what they were. It turns out they belonged to an early Platypus. They offered him loads for it as it was a rare specimen but he didn't want to sell it, just yet.
Sorry, not really a Dinosaur but just in relation to what else can fossilise.

Podge2k7

T-REX FTW

Mal-Adjusted

I gotta say either the Allosaurus or the Suchomimus. in the words of Bill & Ted, they were both richous beasts!

lol. he he! i love what yerman said above, about oviraptors being sneaky bastards!

Canis_major

Doyouthinkhesaurus :pac:

Alvin T. Grey

Rex. Ever since I saw the skull in the Smithsonian. Talk about big headed.....

Kess73

Ankylosaurus and Triceratops were always two faves of mine, along with Stegosaurus.


I like the big meat eaters, but there is something bad ass about the veggies that can fight back, especially the first two I named.

Alvin T. Grey

Well I suppose a Rex had to eat something.....

Rubecula

It isn't really a dinosaur but I have a soft spot for Dimetrodon.

This beastie might possibly be your great great (many times removed) granny.

Alvin T. Grey

Rubecula wrote: »

It isn't really a dinosaur but I have a soft spot for Dimetrodon.

This beastie might possibly be your great great (many times removed) granny.

http://www.livescience.com/10869-ancient-tiger-sized-predator-unearthed-texas.html

Rubecula

Thanks Alvin, I enjoyed the read.:)

Capt'n Midnight

I like dinos but they are over emphasised compared to earlier and later animals

moschops
lystrosaurus
anomalocaris
dunkleosteus