Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'abelisaurs'.
-
Something that has been baffling me for a while is the fate of the European genera of Tyrannosauridae after the Mid Cretaceous. Multiple Tyrannosauridae genera including Proceratosaurus (Tyrannosauridae, England, Great Britain, Middle Jurassic (166 Million Years ago): ironically one of the earliest known Tyrannosauridae from the fossil record currently known), Eotyrannus (Tyrannosauridae, Wessex Formation, Isle of Wight, Early Cretaceous (136.4-125.45 Million Years ago)) and an unnamed Tyrannosauridae genera from Germany (Early Cretaceous (130.0-122.5 Million Years ago)) are known from Mesozoic deposits in Europe dating from the Middle Jurassic up to the Early Cretaceous. Holtz, Thomas (December 1998). "A new phylogeny of the carnivorous dinosaurs". Gaia. 15: 5–61. https://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/gaiaphyl.pdf Hutt, Stephen & Naish, Darren & Martill, David & Barker, Michael & Newbery, Penny. (2001). A preliminary account of a new tyrannosauroid theropod from the Wessex Formation (Early Cretaceous) of southern England. Cretaceous Research. 22. 227-242. 10.1006/cres.2001.0252. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=242e6d5f962a143900f3c8d2ff5eb20d6fe7482b K.-P. Lanser and U. Heinhofer. (2015). Evidence of theropod dinosaurs from a Lower Cretaceous karst filling in the northern Sauerland (Rhenish Massif, Germany). Palaeontologische Zeitschrift 89:79-94 https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Evidence-of-theropod-dinosaurs-from-a-Lower-karst-Lanser-Heimhofer/94860c34dedf8ac6d65759af9725ae76402eef59 But by the Late Cretaceous around 70-66 Million Years ago, they are absent from the fossil record in the region. Instead, the top predators of the region at the time seem to be Abelisaurs and large pterosaurs. Isasmendi, Erik & Torices, Angelica & Canudo, José & Currie, Philip & Pereda Suberbiola, Xabier. (2022). Upper Cretaceous European theropod palaeobiodiversity, palaeobiogeography and the intra‐Maastrichtian faunal turnover: new contributions from the Iberian fossil site of Laño. Papers in Palaeontology. 8. 10.1002/spp2.1419. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/spp2.1419 I’m curious on what could have caused this faunal turnover (especially since that between the Ealy Cretaceous (at the time of the known records of Tyrannosauridae from Europe) and the Late Cretaceous, Europe was basically a series of islands) or if they were still present in Europe during the Late Cretaceous and specimens have yet to be found or properly categorized? What do you guys think?
- 3 replies
-
- abelisaurs
- early cretaceous
- (and 10 more)
-
Welcome to the first entry of my dino blog! I figured for the first entry I should do something exciting and personal to me, so I'm doing a face-off between my two favourite dinosaurs: masiakasaurus and noasaurus! These two dinos are roughly the same size and are the two smallest abelisaurids found so far. Before we get into the match-up, lets look at some stats and figures for the reptiles themselves. First off we have masiakasaurus, a piscivorous dinosaur with long, outward jutting teeth designed to capture and make sure any fish caught can't escape. Its arms had to be strong in order for it to hold on to its wriggling and squirming prey, and it's fingers end with hooked claws that would latch onto any fish snatched from the riverbank. It was 5.6 feet long (2 metres) and definitely is a strong and deadly competitor. Now we have noasaurus, an abelisaurid that closely resembles the maniraptorans, for the killing claw on nova's hands was originally thought to be based on it's foot, like a raptor. Noasaurus was an active hunter and could reach blisteringly fast speeds, presumably using similar hunting techniques to deinonychus and velociraptor- going for the soft, fleshy part throat of the animal. This abelisaur was 7.9 feet long (2.6 metres) and will definitely prove more than a match for masiakasaurus. THE FIGHT: This fight would probably only happen if noasaurus' hunting grounds started to clash with the section of the river masiakasaurus hunts by. As rivers generate a large amount of noise, noasaurus would definitely gain the advantage as it snuck up on masiaka, who would be facing the river, searching for prey. Noasaurus' first move would presumably to lunge from behind onto masiakasaurus' neck, attempting to get a killing strike in with the claw on it's hand. This move would likely push them both into the river (dinosaurs are pretty dumb, so noasaurus wouldn't have planned for that to happen!) where masiakasaurus would gain the advantage. It's outward jutting teeth would have to be strong to hold staring and thrashing prey, but they just weren't suited for attacking other dinosaurs. The hooked talons on it's hands, however... As masiakasaurus lacks hunting and attacking instinct, it would probably throw some wild slashes at the lightly built noasaurus, who would be struggling to keep it's snout above the water. Masiakasaurus would probably have experience from falling in to it's hunting grounds, and so would be prepared to get out. And as masiakasaurus would escape the confines of the water, the blood and gashes from the battle would attract some other aspiring aquatic predators. The poor, drowning noasaurus would presumably be finished by a crocodile of some sort or, once it drowned, scavenged by some smaller, predatory fish. So, in the end... MASIAKASAURUS WINS!
-
- abelisaurs
- dino
-
(and 4 more)
Tagged with:
-
Does Anyone Know Anything About Abelisaurs?
Raptor Lover posted a topic in General Fossil Discussion
Does anyone know anything about Abelisaurs? Where did they live? Are unidentified Moroccan theropod teeth likely to be Abelisaur related?- 7 replies
-
- Abelisaur
- Abelisaurs
-
(and 1 more)
Tagged with: