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Showing results for tags 'semi-aquatic'.
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Dr. Hone and Holtz take an objective look at Spinosaurus has an aquatic predator. Gotta love it, another view, excellent read. From Abstract: "Here we assess the arguments about the functional morphology of this animal and the available data on its ecology and possible habits in the light of these new finds. We conclude that based on the available data, the degree of adaptations for aquatic life are questionable, other interpretations for the tail fin and other features are supported (e.g., socio-sexual signalling), and the pursuit predation hypothesis for Spinosaurus as a “
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Although the paper is paywalled the abstract provides some interesting insights The hypothesized aquatic habits of Spinosaurus have been called into question, and the distribution of aquatic habits within Spinosauridae remain unclear. New spinosaurid specimens from the Kem Kem beds of Morocco reveal aquatic adaptations in the cranium. 1) Elevated orbits and bending of the frontals placed the eyes atop the skull, as in semiaquatic animals such as crocodiles and hippos. 2) Two morphologies are present, a smaller morph characterized by narrow, triangular frontals, a
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A recent interpretation of the fossil remains Spinosaurus aegyptiacus proposed that it was specially adapted for a semi-aquatic mode of life—a first for any predatory dinosaur. To test some aspects of this suggestion this study developed a three-dimensional, digital model of the animal that incorporates regional density variations, lungs and air sacs, and the flotation potential of the model was investigated using specially written software. It was found that Spinosaurus would have been able to float with its head clear of the water surface, although it was laterally unstable and would tend to
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This paper looks to confirm the semi-aquatic lifestyle of Spinosaurids using oxygen isototopes in their bones. Direct evidence concerning spinosaurid diet was inconclusive since it appears that they also fed on dinosaurs and pterosaurs. Because of the shape of their jaw/teeth and fish remains in their stomach, the hypothesis of spinosaurs as “crocodile mimics” has been widely accepted. However, their postcranial anatomy differs relatively little from that of the usual large theropods, and is not particularly suggestive of aquatic habits. So the paper concluded that stable
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