New Paper on Dunkleosteus Ecomorphology

[suspsy]

https://peerj.com/articles/4081/

As you can see, the authors of this paper infer that Dunkleosteus possessed a distinctly shark-like tail as opposed to the more eel-like tail it has traditionally been depicted with. The Safari and Schleich figures both have eel-like tails, whereas the upcoming CollectA figure appears to have a vaguely shark-like tail, although I'd like to see it from a different angle. It may therefore be safe to say that the most accurate Dunkleosteus figure is the one by Favorite Ltd:

http://dinotoyblog.com/2016/01/18/dunkleosteus-favorite-co-ltd/

[Halichoeres]

That and the Kaiyodo, which had a crescent-shaped tail all the way back in 2001. I didn't know there were any ceratotrichia preserved, that's a really interesting find. Thanks for posting!

[Joey]

Very intriguing! I personally always kind of believed it had an eel-like tail, but this discovery changed that!

[stargatedalek]

Is it just me, or does that reconstruction look eerily similar to the REBOR pre-production samples?

Accidentally Correct Zoology anyone?

[suspsy]

Is it just me, or does that reconstruction look eerily similar to the REBOR pre-production samples?

Accidentally Correct Zoology anyone?

Not this one?

http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=4870.0

[stargatedalek]

Is it just me, or does that reconstruction look eerily similar to the REBOR pre-production samples?

Accidentally Correct Zoology anyone?

Not this one?

http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=4870.0

Yes that one.

I can't recall seeing such a, bulbous, reconstruction of it before. Looks very similar to the reconstruction in the paper. Even if the tail isn't heavily forked it has the same general morphology, spinal structure forming the top lobe of the tail, etc.

[Halichoeres]

This paper was 90% concerned with the shape of the tail. The rest of the reconstruction isn't really based on much more than hunches.

[Faelrin]

I guess some of the forum members here beat it to the punch with this tail thing. Well that and Favorite for their figure that's been around for a bit now. I wonder how the CollectA version's tail will look in in-hand pics and videos. At the current angle, it still seems a little eel like.

I also like how it looks like a hulking sea behemoth in that reconstruction. If only the tail were bigger in that reconstruction. It does seem to resemble the Rebor one in any case.

[ZoPteryx]

Cool study, thanks for sharing!  I wonder how many other "placoderms" shared this sort of tail morphology.  Probably any that weren't bottom dwellers would be my guess.

[Halichoeres]

Actually, now I think of it, both this reconstruction and the Rebor one look a lot like Sean Cooper's Dunk:


(Photo by modelnut on Deviantart)

Except of course that neither Cooper's version nor Rebor's has the crescent tail.

[SBell]

I guess some of the forum members here beat it to the punch with this tail thing. Well that and Favorite for their figure that's been around for a bit now. I wonder how the CollectA version's tail will look in in-hand pics and videos. At the current angle, it still seems a little eel like.

I also like how it looks like a hulking sea behemoth in that reconstruction. If only the tail were bigger in that reconstruction. It does seem to resemble the Rebor one in any case.

Don't forget that the original Dinotales Dunkleosteus (Series 2) also has a heterocercal tail. That was almost 20 years ago! They did claim to be based on bold scientific claims!

[Faelrin]

Yeah I did forget about that one. I don't usually think of Kaiyodo figures though, and on top of that I'm not aware of most of them. It is a gorgeous figure though. They were pretty ahead of the time in that figures case too it seems.

[SBell]

Yeah I did forget about that one. I don't usually think of Kaiyodo figures though, and on top of that I'm not aware of most of them. It is a gorgeous figure though. They were pretty ahead of the time in that figures case too it seems.

To paraphrase Simpsons...

"being unaware of Dinotales is a Bootable offense..."

I will admit, I always thought the Dunkleosteus was one of the weakest figures, mostly because of the tail...but maybe the science is bearing them out! Maybe next, we'll find out Lystrosaurus looked like a goofy salamander...