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Could dinosaurs dream?

Started by SpittersForEver, February 07, 2015, 06:04:07 PM

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Sim

Quote from: Concavenator on February 11, 2015, 10:14:56 PM
Also,dromaeosaurs like Microraptor or Archaeopteryx had black plumage so it would make sense if they hunted at night.
Archaeopteryx isn't a dromaeosaur.  Since Microraptor had iridescent feathers it's reasonable to conclude it was active in daylight.


Balaur

Quote from: stargatedalek on February 10, 2015, 02:43:54 PM
I wouldn't go that far as to say all.

@Arul, that depends on how one defines "reptile" ;)

I tend to think of dinosaurs and pterosaurs to be separate from reptiles.

Back to the point, I do think dinosaurs did dream. It would probably be a different experience for each dinosaur, though I don't think they had nightmares.

Balaur

Nocturnal animals tend to lack colour vision, right? I'm not too sure with nocturnal birds, but I know most mammals lack colour vision. Any whom, if a nocturnal dromaeosaur is hunting nocturnal animals, how would black help it blend in with an animal that lacks colour vision and can see very well at night?

stargatedalek

The vast majority of mammals lack much in terms of colour vision when compared to birds, given that both crocodilians and birds have colour vision I'd say its safe to assume dinosaurs had it too.

Concavenator

Quote from: Sim on February 12, 2015, 02:37:33 PM
Quote from: Concavenator on February 11, 2015, 10:14:56 PM
Also,dromaeosaurs like Microraptor or Archaeopteryx had black plumage so it would make sense if they hunted at night.
Archaeopteryx isn't a dromaeosaur.  Since Microraptor had iridescent feathers it's reasonable to conclude it was active in daylight.
Has Archaeopteryx been reclassified?If I recall correctly it's considered as a deinonychosaur.Maybe it did belong to the same group as Balaur(which isn't a dromeosaur)?  ???

Gwangi

Quote from: stargatedalek on February 12, 2015, 02:55:08 PM
The vast majority of mammals lack much in terms of colour vision when compared to birds, given that both crocodilians and birds have colour vision I'd say its safe to assume dinosaurs had it too.
\

Not even just birds and crocodiles, a great deal of other reptiles possess color vision as well.

Black doesn't necessarily work well as night camouflage. It's seldom pitch black outside, a solid black animal would stand out in many situations.

stargatedalek

In the deep ocean animals are actually deep red or brown as opposed to black, since that blends better in the darkness.

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Balaur

Quote from: Concavenator on February 12, 2015, 03:18:32 PM
Quote from: Sim on February 12, 2015, 02:37:33 PM
Quote from: Concavenator on February 11, 2015, 10:14:56 PM
Also,dromaeosaurs like Microraptor or Archaeopteryx had black plumage so it would make sense if they hunted at night.
Archaeopteryx isn't a dromaeosaur.  Since Microraptor had iridescent feathers it's reasonable to conclude it was active in daylight.
Has Archaeopteryx been reclassified?If I recall correctly it's considered as a deinonychosaur.Maybe it did belong to the same group as Balaur(which isn't a dromeosaur)?  ???

It's an early avialan.

Patrx

A deinonychosaur, yes, but not a dromaeosaur. At least, that was the case when last I checked.

Sim

#29
I don't think Archaeopteryx was classified as a dromaeosaur at any point.  There was a study that classified Archaeopteryx and a few others as a group of deinonychosaurs.  The majority of following studies have disagreed with the grouping from that study and found that Archaeopteryx isn't a deinonychosaur.  The consensus is Archaeopteryx is a bird, and not a dromaeosaur or troodontid.

A deinonychosaur would be a member of Deinonychosauria which was defined as all animals closer to dromaeosaurs than birds, in order to contain dromaeosaurs and troodontids.  However more recent and robust studies have been finding troodontids and birds are more closely related to each other than either is to dromaeosaurs, thus making Deinonychosauria only contain dromaeosaurs which makes it a junior synonym of Dromaeosauridae.

Regarding Balaur, there doesn't seem to be agreement on what it was.  I doubt it will be possible to know what it was until more of it is found.

It was late and I had a cold when I first made this post, I've edited it for better clarity!

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