Admin's avatar

[Protopatch]

I just checked out the Plesiosaurus listing on Amazn and the cheeky devils have used my skeleton reconstruction of Rhomaleosaurus without my permission! The one I use on the forum as my avatar. https://www.amazon.com/Gemini-Genius-Plesiosaurus-Sculptures-Collection/dp/B0CWTV4GCR

I've just checked and apparently, it has been removed.

PS I can't help but think about a F/A 18 Hornet fighter jet when I see your avatar Captain Dr Admin

[DinoToyForum]

I just checked out the Plesiosaurus listing on Amazn and the cheeky devils have used my skeleton reconstruction of Rhomaleosaurus without my permission! The one I use on the forum as my avatar. https://www.amazon.com/Gemini-Genius-Plesiosaurus-Sculptures-Collection/dp/B0CWTV4GCR

I've just checked and apparently, it has been removed.

PS I can't help but think about a F/A 18 Hornet fighter jet when I see your avatar Captain Dr Admin

Still there for me. And, yes, there are similarities! But can the fighter jet do this?

[Protopatch]

So, this thread might well be "the place to be" to discuss about our various avatars ?

[Protopatch]

Still there for me. And, yes, there are similarities! But can the fighter jet do this?

Obviously, the comparison becomes less relevant in a 3-dimensional representation, and underwater flight is not compatible with sonic boom !
No, more seriously in my eyes, plesiosaurs are fascinating creatures, sorts of "paleoddities" anatomically speaking.
I mean, there are no more such long-necked marine animals nowadays, unlike terrestrial animals^^

[DinoToyForum]

Still there for me. And, yes, there are similarities! But can the fighter jet do this?

Obviously, the comparison becomes less relevant in a 3-dimensional representation, and underwater flight is not compatible with sonic boom !
No, more seriously in my eyes, plesiosaurs are fascinating creatures, sorts of "paleoddities" anatomically speaking.
I mean, there are no more such long-necked marine animals nowadays, unlike terrestrial animals^^

Exactly! Given how there are no long necked fish, whales, sharks, or any long necked sea creatures today, it is difficult to understand why the plesiosaurs evolved such a long neck. This is the theme of my picture book, The Plesiosaur's Neck, which you might like! It's a kid's book, but many adults have enjoyed and learned something from it!

[Protopatch]

Exactly! Given how there are no long necked fish, whales, sharks, or any long necked sea creatures today, it is difficult to understand why the plesiosaurs evolved such a long neck. This is the theme of my picture book, The Plesiosaur's Neck, which you might like! It's a kid's book, but many adults have enjoyed and learned something from it!

Look forward to reading your book as I've planned to buy it on the occasion of my next Amazon purchase order !
I'll probably find answers to some of my questions in it, among other things  why there weren't any long-necked marine animals before (and after) them, why they were the most successful marine reptiles during the Mesozoic (based on their temporal range and in comparison with Ichtyosaurs and Mosasaurs) or, how they could get advantage from their long necks in spite of their limited flexibility and considering the underwater pressure.

However that may be, cool avatar Cpt Dr Admin

[DinoToyForum]

Exactly! Given how there are no long necked fish, whales, sharks, or any long necked sea creatures today, it is difficult to understand why the plesiosaurs evolved such a long neck. This is the theme of my picture book, The Plesiosaur's Neck, which you might like! It's a kid's book, but many adults have enjoyed and learned something from it!

Look forward to reading your book as I've planned to buy it on the occasion of my next Amazon purchase order !
I'll probably find answers to some of my questions in it, among other things  why there weren't any long-necked marine animals before (and after) them, why they were the most successful marine reptiles during the Mesozoic (based on their temporal range and in comparison with Ichtyosaurs and Mosasaurs) or, how they could get advantage from their long necks in spite of their limited flexibility and considering the underwater pressure.

However that may be, cool avatar Cpt Dr Admin

Thanks! You might not get all the answers you're looking for, but I hope you enjoy it.

And thanks for promoting me to Captain, I don't know what I did to deserve it.

[Protopatch]

Thanks! You might not get all the answers you're looking for, but I hope you enjoy it.

And thanks for promoting me to Captain, I don't know what I did to deserve it.

Since your unidimensional avatar looks like a F18 Hornet of course !
In short, thank you for being such an efficient & discreet conductor, if we can consider DTF as an endless dinosaurs score^^

PS : I'll let you know as soon as the book will be in my hands => an autograph session should then become mandatory

[Gwangi]

Exactly! Given how there are no long necked fish, whales, sharks, or any long necked sea creatures today, it is difficult to understand why the plesiosaurs evolved such a long neck. This is the theme of my picture book, The Plesiosaur's Neck, which you might like! It's a kid's book, but many adults have enjoyed and learned something from it!

Penguins have rather long necks. In fact...

[DinoToyForum]

Penguin necks are a reasonable analogy for short and maybe medium-necked plesiosaurs, up to, say, Cryptoclidus. The skeleton in the picture compared to the penguin is a cast of the Blockley Plesiosaur, which I wrote about here: https://plesiosauria.com/the-return-of-the-blockley-plesiosaur/  It isn't Cryptoclidus, but is has a medium length neck roughly equivalent to Cryptoclidus.

But many elasmosaurs are in a different league. The Plesiosaur's Neck focuses on Albertonectes, for which the penguin neck comparison becomes somewhat laboured:

[Protopatch]

Aside from the shell, I feel that the body shapes of the long-necked turtle and Plesiosaurs are quite similar^^

The Plesiosaur's Neck focuses on Albertonectes

Hopefully, it should arrive by the end of the week with the 3rd edition of the Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs 
Can't wait !

[Gwangi]

Penguin necks are a reasonable analogy for short and maybe medium-necked plesiosaurs, up to, say, Cryptoclidus. The skeleton in the picture compared to the penguin is a cast of the Blockley Plesiosaur, which I wrote about here: https://plesiosauria.com/the-return-of-the-blockley-plesiosaur/  It isn't Cryptoclidus, but is has a medium length neck roughly equivalent to Cryptoclidus.

But many elasmosaurs are in a different league. The Plesiosaur's Neck focuses on Albertonectes, for which the penguin neck comparison becomes somewhat laboured:

Oh yes, I knew that when I posted it. 

[DinoToyForum]

Thanks! You might not get all the answers you're looking for, but I hope you enjoy it.

And thanks for promoting me to Captain, I don't know what I did to deserve it.

Since your unidimensional avatar looks like a F18 Hornet of course !
In short, thank you for being such an efficient & discreet conductor, if we can consider DTF as an endless dinosaurs score^^

PS : I'll let you know as soon as the book will be in my hands => an autograph session should then become mandatory

You're too kind, once again!

I'm happy to sign the book, we just need to work out how!

[Protopatch]

The parcel eventually arrived one day before the estimated date of delivery, for my greatest happiness !
My little finger tells me that my week off should be busy with thrilling readings

[DinoToyForum]

Fantastic! 

[Protopatch]

Fantastic! 

I find the book adorable ! Also read & approved by our "performing dog"



As it is initially intended for children, it summarizes the main hypotheses which might explain the outstanding length of the Plesiosaurs' necks in a simple as well as concise way.

I was wondering if you wrote a paper and/or would have any paper recommendations about the potential ability to generate electricity to deter/stun their potential predators/preys ?
Be that as it may, my dino fan 4-year-old niece will certainly love it as well

PS : this is a privilege to learn more about the length of the authors' neck !

[DinoToyForum]

I'm glad you and the pup both enjoyed it . Please do share it far and wide!

The electricity hypothesis came from a 2013 blog article by Duane Nash: https://heteromeles.com/2013/02/23/shocking-necks/ I'm not aware of any subsequent peer-reviewed studies. The idea for the book in general came from a blog article I wrote in 2014 (https://plesiosauria.com/why-did-elasmosaurids-have-such-a-long-neck/) but I wasn't aware of the electricity hypothesis at first, so it was missing from my original blog article draft until Darren Naish pointed it out to me. He directed me to Duane's article. I added the hypothesis to the revised article, and it is such a fun idea we had to include it in the book as well.

I remember Jonathan and I measured each others necks for the 'About The Authors' section.