Hatrack River Forum: The REAL reason dinosaurs died out

This is topic The REAL reason dinosaurs died out in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :

Read all about it!

[Edit--New title courtesy of sndrake]

[ January 13, 2005, 09:53 AM: Message edited by: Noemon ]

Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :

Sooner or later, we'll find human bones in the tummy of the T-Rex.

[Big Grin]

Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :

I saw that, too, Noemon.

I thought about posting it.

Of course, the title I was thinking of putting on thread was:

The REAL reason dinosaurs died out.

[Smile]

It's probably a good thing that you beat me to posting it, come to think of it.

[ January 13, 2005, 09:13 AM: Message edited by: sndrake ]

Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :

Actually, that's a much better title. Wish I'd thought of it!

Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :

Well, it's your thread, my friend.

You could always change it. Lots of people haven't seen it yet.

[Smile]

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

quote:
At 1 metre long, R. giganticus was big enough to hunt small dinosaurs, and a newly discovered fossil of its smaller cousin, R. robustus, died with its belly full of young dinosaur.

Okay -- how can they know it actually hunted and killed the dinosaur? It may have eaten one that it found that was already dead. Many carnivores eat dead things they come across, you know.

I think there is a lot of dramatization and supposition in this piece..

Farmgirl

Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :

:miffed:

MY ancestors were NOT carrion eaters!

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

Well, of course not, Scott!

Besides, the article says this particular mammal species died out a long time ago -- so it couldn't possibly have been one of your ancestors, or you wouldn't exist!

[Big Grin]

FG

[ January 13, 2005, 09:29 AM: Message edited by: Farmgirl ]

Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :

quote:
MY ancestors were NOT carrion eaters!

Mine were. My ancestors figured it was silly to expend all that energy hunting when there were others willing to do the killing for you. [Razz]

Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :

Farmgirl, from what they found in the one's stomach, it would seem that they ate juvenile dinosaurs rather than adults. And of course, not all dinosaurs were huge.

Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :

I just want to add one thing. The carrion-eating trend in my line runs strong. Everyone in my family has a passion for leftovers. [Wink]

One more thing, to use a quote from "Shakespeare in Love": Good title. [Smile]

[ January 13, 2005, 09:56 AM: Message edited by: sndrake ]

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

to jake:
which proves what? I mean, baby dinosaurs die, too..

[ January 13, 2005, 09:56 AM: Message edited by: Farmgirl ]

Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :

Well, sure, it doesn't prove anything beyond a shadow of a doubt, but it's certainly sugestive. I'd guess that predation is probably the number one killer of young in most species today, and I don't see a reason why the pattern would have been different back then. Is there a reason to think that it was a scavanger rather than a predator, or are you just floating this as a possiblity?

Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :

Also, not all dinosaurs were mean. I'm sure the herbivorous varieties made very good prey.

Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :

No, I'm just trying to be difficult [Big Grin]

I have no problem with that mammal being a predator OR a carrion.

I was just saying they found ONE mammal with a stomach full of ONE dinosaur baby, and they are making all kinds of theories based on that.

Now if they found several different instances of this, over many different places, I can see them giving a theory...

FG