This is a bonus post. This was not originally posted on dinosaurhome.com, where I frequent.
Sexual dimorphism is the differences between a male and a female of the same species. Dimorphism comes from two Greek words: di meaning two and morph meaning form. In mallards, for example, the male has a green head and a more brilliant body than the female. In most species of spiders, the female is much larger than the male. This might have been the case for dinosaurs, as well. For example, a female Tyrannosaurus was slightly larger than a male Tyrannosaurus. In the case of Utahraptor, the female might have been a little larger than the male.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Utahraptor Research, Part 5: Questions and Habitat
Questions
Q: Was Utahraptor warm-blooded or cold-blooded?
A: This is one of the toughest questions asked by paleontologists; were dinosaurs warm-blooded or cold-blooded? In retrospect, I think they were both warm and cold-blooded. Predators like Allosaurus had to be warm-blooded so they could catch their prey in the early morning, which is when they usually liked to hunt. Now, in the case of Utahraptor and other dromaeosaurs, I think they were warm-blooded because they could run fairly quickly. Plus, they might have been nocturnal, which means they hunted at night. Night was the coldest time, and its prey was probably not very fast at night.
Q: How did Utahraptor die out?
A: Utahraptor probably died because of the changing environment. You have to remember; it lived in the early Cretaceous. Earth was cooling down. Utahraptor had probably been adapted to a warmer and drier climate. Once the climate became somewhat cooler and wetter, this caused Utahraptors everywhere to die.
Q: How old did Utahraptor get before it died?
A: That’s a very good question. I’m not entirely sure, but I think it could probably be up to 65-70 years old, based on modern-day life spans of creatures it is related to.
Q: How long did Utahraptor live before they became extinct?
A: Utahraptor lived about 5 million years before they became extinct.
Habitat
Utahraptor packs probably lived in forests or deserts/prairies where hunting wouldn’t be a problem. They probably had a certain amount of territory, probably up to 3 miles in all directions, and part of their territory could have been near a water source, such as a lake, river, or stream. This suggests, but does not prove, that Utahraptor ate fish as part of its regular diet. The following descriptions are of the habitats of Utahraptor.
Forest
In the forest, Utahraptor would probably have hunted rodent-like creatures and lizards. The forest is probably where they would put their nests. Utahraptor packs guarded their nests very well. They would leave one or two guards behind while the rest of the pack hunts. Then, they would probably bring back some leftovers for the guards. Forest Utahraptors would have been rare, since at that time, the landscape was mostly barren desert, with very few forests.
Deserts/Prairies
The desert/prairie was probably where Utahraptor did most of its hunting when it comes to big game. They would try to separate a young or weak creature from the rest of its herd, then they would kill the separated creature. Often, the prey animal wouldn’t be enough to supply all Utahraptor with food. Therefore, there were probably feeding frenzies, in which some of the members of the pack may have been injured or killed.
Q: Was Utahraptor warm-blooded or cold-blooded?
A: This is one of the toughest questions asked by paleontologists; were dinosaurs warm-blooded or cold-blooded? In retrospect, I think they were both warm and cold-blooded. Predators like Allosaurus had to be warm-blooded so they could catch their prey in the early morning, which is when they usually liked to hunt. Now, in the case of Utahraptor and other dromaeosaurs, I think they were warm-blooded because they could run fairly quickly. Plus, they might have been nocturnal, which means they hunted at night. Night was the coldest time, and its prey was probably not very fast at night.
Q: How did Utahraptor die out?
A: Utahraptor probably died because of the changing environment. You have to remember; it lived in the early Cretaceous. Earth was cooling down. Utahraptor had probably been adapted to a warmer and drier climate. Once the climate became somewhat cooler and wetter, this caused Utahraptors everywhere to die.
Q: How old did Utahraptor get before it died?
A: That’s a very good question. I’m not entirely sure, but I think it could probably be up to 65-70 years old, based on modern-day life spans of creatures it is related to.
Q: How long did Utahraptor live before they became extinct?
A: Utahraptor lived about 5 million years before they became extinct.
Habitat
Utahraptor packs probably lived in forests or deserts/prairies where hunting wouldn’t be a problem. They probably had a certain amount of territory, probably up to 3 miles in all directions, and part of their territory could have been near a water source, such as a lake, river, or stream. This suggests, but does not prove, that Utahraptor ate fish as part of its regular diet. The following descriptions are of the habitats of Utahraptor.
Forest
In the forest, Utahraptor would probably have hunted rodent-like creatures and lizards. The forest is probably where they would put their nests. Utahraptor packs guarded their nests very well. They would leave one or two guards behind while the rest of the pack hunts. Then, they would probably bring back some leftovers for the guards. Forest Utahraptors would have been rare, since at that time, the landscape was mostly barren desert, with very few forests.
Deserts/Prairies
The desert/prairie was probably where Utahraptor did most of its hunting when it comes to big game. They would try to separate a young or weak creature from the rest of its herd, then they would kill the separated creature. Often, the prey animal wouldn’t be enough to supply all Utahraptor with food. Therefore, there were probably feeding frenzies, in which some of the members of the pack may have been injured or killed.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Utahraptor Research, Part 4: Diet, Speed and Agility
Diet
Utahraptor’s diet wasn’t very complicated. They would hunt anything that was available to them. When it comes to water, Utahraptor probably didn't need to drink a whole lot, since it probably got most of its water from the blood of its prey. However, due to the fact it mostly lived in a semi-arid climate, it probably still had to drink fresh water. It is possible that Utahraptor scavenged when it couldn’t find anything else to eat. Since it was one of the largest carnivores of the early Cretaceous, it could probably scare most other predators away from a carcass that it wanted to feed on. But scavenged meat was a last resort for Utahraptor, because this large dromaeosaur was designed for speed and agility, although it was more of an ambush predator, rather than a head-on battler.
Speed and agility
Utahraptor was agile, and could probably outrun most other dinosaurs during its time. However, it was more of a heavyweight fighter, rather than a more agile Velociraptor, which relied on its ferocity and dexterity, rather than its size. Utahraptor was the fastest carnivore in the early Cretaceous, although it could only run fast in short, quick bursts of speed. At top speed, Utahraptor could probably run up to 20 miles per hour for about 5-10 seconds. It wasn’t any faster because of its size. (However, the typical dromaeosaur [3 ft. tall, 6 ft. long] could reach speeds up to 25-30 miles per hour.) Dromaeosaurs could run so fast because a.) Their legs were very strong and b.) because of their lung design. First, the raptor would, obviously, inhale air. Then, that air would travel to various bones and vertebrae as well as the lungs. Finally, the remaining air exited the body through holes in various bones and escaped through the animal's pores in its skin. This method conserved energy because the raptor didn't have to let as much air out of its lungs.
Utahraptor’s diet wasn’t very complicated. They would hunt anything that was available to them. When it comes to water, Utahraptor probably didn't need to drink a whole lot, since it probably got most of its water from the blood of its prey. However, due to the fact it mostly lived in a semi-arid climate, it probably still had to drink fresh water. It is possible that Utahraptor scavenged when it couldn’t find anything else to eat. Since it was one of the largest carnivores of the early Cretaceous, it could probably scare most other predators away from a carcass that it wanted to feed on. But scavenged meat was a last resort for Utahraptor, because this large dromaeosaur was designed for speed and agility, although it was more of an ambush predator, rather than a head-on battler.
Speed and agility
Utahraptor was agile, and could probably outrun most other dinosaurs during its time. However, it was more of a heavyweight fighter, rather than a more agile Velociraptor, which relied on its ferocity and dexterity, rather than its size. Utahraptor was the fastest carnivore in the early Cretaceous, although it could only run fast in short, quick bursts of speed. At top speed, Utahraptor could probably run up to 20 miles per hour for about 5-10 seconds. It wasn’t any faster because of its size. (However, the typical dromaeosaur [3 ft. tall, 6 ft. long] could reach speeds up to 25-30 miles per hour.) Dromaeosaurs could run so fast because a.) Their legs were very strong and b.) because of their lung design. First, the raptor would, obviously, inhale air. Then, that air would travel to various bones and vertebrae as well as the lungs. Finally, the remaining air exited the body through holes in various bones and escaped through the animal's pores in its skin. This method conserved energy because the raptor didn't have to let as much air out of its lungs.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Utahraptor Research, Part 3: Weapons and how it used them during mating season
Weapons
Utahraptor had many extremely dangerous weapons to use in combat. Its first weapon was its brain. Utahraptor was a master strategist, and had a fairly expanded brain. Its second weapon it had were the claws on its hands. It used the claws to slash and rip apart its prey, and also to get to the good stuff once the prey animal had died. Its third combat weapon was its second toe, which was the deadly toe claw. Utahraptor would use its toe claw to stab its prey, possibly in the jugular vein or spine, causing paralysis and/or death. Its teeth in its jaws were also a crucial weapon, used to tear apart and eat a carcass. Its next weapon was crucial in the hunting process. Utahraptor’s tail was used for balance when it was bringing down a prey animal, and also when the animal was running.
How it used these weapons during mating season
During the mating season, Utahraptor males would probably become more aggressive towards each other. During the fight to find a female, however, the males were probably careful not to hurt each other. They might've grab onto each other’s shoulders and had a shoving match. Whoever fell to the ground first would be the loser, and he wouldn’t win the right to mate. Of course, sometimes they would snap at each other, but rarely would any of the males be seriously injured. In the case of two females in the group, the best two males would get to choose a female. Sometimes, a certain male could become unlucky all through its life. The shoving matches they had may not have always been safe. If the male who lost the match wasn’t happy, it may have gotten into a screeching match with the winner. And in some of these cases, the winner may challenge the loser to a real fight; one that has all the dangers; a fight to the death. Here is what a fight to the death may have looked like:
The losing Utahraptor and the winning Utahraptor are circling each other slowly. They are snarling and hissing at each other, trying to get the other to back down before things got ugly. But neither of them are backing down. Their pride as a Utahraptor is on the line if nobody backs down. At first, it looks as if the Utahraptor that isn’t going to mate is backing down. But then, he rams the other Utahraptor right in the stomach. The raptor falls to the ground, surprised. The winner then leaps to his feet and tackles the other Utahraptor. They start to roll in the dirt, clawing and biting at each other. Suddenly, there is a loud shriek of pain. The Utahraptor that had the right to mate has just stuck his toe claw in the other Utahraptor’s stomach! The victor decides to gloat by roaring loudly.
Utahraptor had many extremely dangerous weapons to use in combat. Its first weapon was its brain. Utahraptor was a master strategist, and had a fairly expanded brain. Its second weapon it had were the claws on its hands. It used the claws to slash and rip apart its prey, and also to get to the good stuff once the prey animal had died. Its third combat weapon was its second toe, which was the deadly toe claw. Utahraptor would use its toe claw to stab its prey, possibly in the jugular vein or spine, causing paralysis and/or death. Its teeth in its jaws were also a crucial weapon, used to tear apart and eat a carcass. Its next weapon was crucial in the hunting process. Utahraptor’s tail was used for balance when it was bringing down a prey animal, and also when the animal was running.
How it used these weapons during mating season
During the mating season, Utahraptor males would probably become more aggressive towards each other. During the fight to find a female, however, the males were probably careful not to hurt each other. They might've grab onto each other’s shoulders and had a shoving match. Whoever fell to the ground first would be the loser, and he wouldn’t win the right to mate. Of course, sometimes they would snap at each other, but rarely would any of the males be seriously injured. In the case of two females in the group, the best two males would get to choose a female. Sometimes, a certain male could become unlucky all through its life. The shoving matches they had may not have always been safe. If the male who lost the match wasn’t happy, it may have gotten into a screeching match with the winner. And in some of these cases, the winner may challenge the loser to a real fight; one that has all the dangers; a fight to the death. Here is what a fight to the death may have looked like:
The losing Utahraptor and the winning Utahraptor are circling each other slowly. They are snarling and hissing at each other, trying to get the other to back down before things got ugly. But neither of them are backing down. Their pride as a Utahraptor is on the line if nobody backs down. At first, it looks as if the Utahraptor that isn’t going to mate is backing down. But then, he rams the other Utahraptor right in the stomach. The raptor falls to the ground, surprised. The winner then leaps to his feet and tackles the other Utahraptor. They start to roll in the dirt, clawing and biting at each other. Suddenly, there is a loud shriek of pain. The Utahraptor that had the right to mate has just stuck his toe claw in the other Utahraptor’s stomach! The victor decides to gloat by roaring loudly.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Fossil photos
A 50 million year old shark tooth.
Fossil dung, a.k.a. coprolite.
A fossil leaf.
Some fossil fish from Green River, Wyoming.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Dinosaur web show coming soon
I have decided to create and publish a dinosaur web show every two weeks. These web shows will contain information about certain families of dinosaurs (for example, the first show will focus on dromaeosaurs). There will always be a part one and a part two of the web show, so I will discuss approximately twelve dinosaur families per year. I will try to get these web shows up as soon as they are finished.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Utahraptor Research, Part 2: Social behavior, intelligence, and an example of pack hunting
Social behavior and intelligence
Scientists say dromaeosaurs like Utahraptor probably hunted in packs. I believe this is true. I also think that they lived together in these packs full time. The pack they lived in was almost like their family, even if there were few or no actual blood relations. They would have competed for food, territory, and the right to mate in these packs. They could've also acted as a team to bring down an animal several times their size. In order to do this, they may have had some form of communication, like we do today, but probably not to our extent. Utahraptor packs would have usually consisted of an alpha female, and at least three others; probably most of the rest were males. Few dromaeosaur egg specimens are in human possession today, although as time progresses, we may find more.
*****************************************************
Dromaeosaurs were one of the most intelligent groups of dinosaurs that ever existed, second only to the troodonts. They were master strategists. Paleontologists figure out relative dinosaur intelligence based on their Encephalization Quotient, or EQ. Basically put, an EQ is the brain to body mass ratio. For example, for humans, the figure comes out at about 7:14, but this does not always determine high intelligence. The EQ of a bird is about 7:20, which would make them appear smarter than humans. The EQ of a troodont is about 6 even, and dromaeosaurs aren’t far behind; with an average EQ of about 5.87 or higher. The EQ of Utahraptor is about the same as a troodont, which makes Utahraptor the most intelligent dromaeosaur, and possibly dinosaur, of all time. Utahraptor was probably just as smart as a modern-day fox.
Pack hunting: An example of what it might look like
Pay close attention to the following description of how a pack of Utahraptor might have brought down its prey. Bear in mind that Utahraptor and Triceratops lived millions of years apart, and a meeting like this would be impossible.
*****************************************************
A herd of Triceratops is grazing in the prairie. The ferns are tall and thick, but the Triceratops don’t seem to mind. In fact, they are feeding on these high ferns. They have a baby with them. The little guy is in the middle of the herd. None of them suspect what will happen next…
A lone Utahraptor leaps out of its hiding place and races toward the herd of Triceratops. They turn to face the Utahraptor, and get into a defensive circle. The Utahraptor can’t get past the Triceratops! Suddenly, from behind, 5 more Utahraptor race to the center of the herd, since the back of the defense shield is open. They get to the baby, but one of the adults sees them! It quickly warns the others, and they face the other way. Then the lone Utahraptor snatches the baby and runs. The rest of the pack follows…all except one. That one is fighting off the mother of the baby they killed. The mother tries to gouge the Utahraptor with its horns. The Utahraptor jumps out of the way, and the Triceratops’ horns harmlessly hit the dirt. The last Utahraptor finally gets away unharmed. The Triceratops make barking sounds, almost like dogs, at the Utahraptor as they retreat into the night…
Scientists say dromaeosaurs like Utahraptor probably hunted in packs. I believe this is true. I also think that they lived together in these packs full time. The pack they lived in was almost like their family, even if there were few or no actual blood relations. They would have competed for food, territory, and the right to mate in these packs. They could've also acted as a team to bring down an animal several times their size. In order to do this, they may have had some form of communication, like we do today, but probably not to our extent. Utahraptor packs would have usually consisted of an alpha female, and at least three others; probably most of the rest were males. Few dromaeosaur egg specimens are in human possession today, although as time progresses, we may find more.
*****************************************************
Dromaeosaurs were one of the most intelligent groups of dinosaurs that ever existed, second only to the troodonts. They were master strategists. Paleontologists figure out relative dinosaur intelligence based on their Encephalization Quotient, or EQ. Basically put, an EQ is the brain to body mass ratio. For example, for humans, the figure comes out at about 7:14, but this does not always determine high intelligence. The EQ of a bird is about 7:20, which would make them appear smarter than humans. The EQ of a troodont is about 6 even, and dromaeosaurs aren’t far behind; with an average EQ of about 5.87 or higher. The EQ of Utahraptor is about the same as a troodont, which makes Utahraptor the most intelligent dromaeosaur, and possibly dinosaur, of all time. Utahraptor was probably just as smart as a modern-day fox.
Pack hunting: An example of what it might look like
Pay close attention to the following description of how a pack of Utahraptor might have brought down its prey. Bear in mind that Utahraptor and Triceratops lived millions of years apart, and a meeting like this would be impossible.
*****************************************************
A herd of Triceratops is grazing in the prairie. The ferns are tall and thick, but the Triceratops don’t seem to mind. In fact, they are feeding on these high ferns. They have a baby with them. The little guy is in the middle of the herd. None of them suspect what will happen next…
A lone Utahraptor leaps out of its hiding place and races toward the herd of Triceratops. They turn to face the Utahraptor, and get into a defensive circle. The Utahraptor can’t get past the Triceratops! Suddenly, from behind, 5 more Utahraptor race to the center of the herd, since the back of the defense shield is open. They get to the baby, but one of the adults sees them! It quickly warns the others, and they face the other way. Then the lone Utahraptor snatches the baby and runs. The rest of the pack follows…all except one. That one is fighting off the mother of the baby they killed. The mother tries to gouge the Utahraptor with its horns. The Utahraptor jumps out of the way, and the Triceratops’ horns harmlessly hit the dirt. The last Utahraptor finally gets away unharmed. The Triceratops make barking sounds, almost like dogs, at the Utahraptor as they retreat into the night…
Friday, January 29, 2010
Breaking news: Dinosaur color uncovered
I recently read an article talking about dinosaur color. A recent discovery in China reveals the color of dinosaur feathers! Researchers came to the conclusion that the theropod Sinosauropteryx had bristles in orange and white rings down its tail. Researchers also concluded that the bird Confuciusornis had patches of white, black and orange-brown coloring.
The teams of paleontologists from the University of Bristol in the UK and The Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing, China report two different kinds of melanosomes found in numerous feathers of birds and dinosaurs from Southeast China.
Melanosomes are organelles that bear color that are found within feathers and hair in modern animals. Because melanosomes are a part of the protein structure of the feather, they survive with the feather.
This is the first report of melanosomes being present in the feathers of dinosaurs and early birds. These discoveries confirm that birds evolved from a line of theropod dinosaurs. It also shows that the unique characteristics that make a modern bird evolved over about 50 million years of dinosaur evolution, through the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
Source: http://www.bris.ac.uk/news/2010/6806.html
The teams of paleontologists from the University of Bristol in the UK and The Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing, China report two different kinds of melanosomes found in numerous feathers of birds and dinosaurs from Southeast China.
Melanosomes are organelles that bear color that are found within feathers and hair in modern animals. Because melanosomes are a part of the protein structure of the feather, they survive with the feather.
This is the first report of melanosomes being present in the feathers of dinosaurs and early birds. These discoveries confirm that birds evolved from a line of theropod dinosaurs. It also shows that the unique characteristics that make a modern bird evolved over about 50 million years of dinosaur evolution, through the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
Source: http://www.bris.ac.uk/news/2010/6806.html
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