Meet Thanos simonattoi, the abelisaur with the stupidest name

[MoarCrossovers]

Something tells me this guy wouldn't have been able to wipe out half the universe with a snap of his fingers.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2018.1546700?scroll=top&needAccess=true

(paywall)

[MLMjp]

I...I don't have words for this.

[Ravonium]

Something tells me this guy wouldn't have been able to wipe out half the universe with a snap of his fingers.

  This here deserves comment of the year 


Are these scientists even trying anymore not to name their dinosaurs stupidly?   First Dynamoterror, then this. If this continues, then in a few years, I guarantee there'll be a dinosaur named Epicus horribilis

[Faelrin]

Okay I think this is funny. Although that one ankylosaurid that got named Zuul was funnier.

[Gothmog the Baryonyx]

This is by far the most stupid name for a dinosaur. I can't believe they actually did this.

[DragonRider02]

I Made a reconstruction

[alexeratops]

I Made a reconstruction

Lovely.

It is interesting to read professional scientific papers talk about this animal, referring to it as Thanos, and not cracking any jokes.
All of this thing's reconstructions are going to be purple.

[MLMjp]

Off topic, but this has reminded me of a Joke from the Jurassic World evolution subreddit.
Back in the days when promotional gameplay videos were shown, one thing that stood out was how strong Ceratosaurus was, because it was capable of killing Triceratops and Ankylosaurus. Due to this, the Ceratosaurus was seeing as over-powered, then someone did this:

And then the Thanos Ceratosaurus memes spread up. People referred to the Ceratosaurus as "Ceratos", "Cerathanosaurus", "Thanoratosaurus"...etc. Lines like "Dread it, run from it, Ceratosaurus still arrives" or "When Im done, half of the hervivores will be left alive" were said. People posted memes of Thanos with a Ceratosaurus head. And when the game was released, people called their Ceratosaurus "Thanos"

Those were fun moments.

[Smilodon P.]

 Well, considering the recent choices of epic names for prehistoric animals, it's only a matter of time before a "Biggus Dickus" appears ... 

[spinosaurus1]

made a speed sculpt XD

[DragonRider02]

Well, considering the recent choices of epic names for prehistoric animals, it's only a matter of time before a "Biggus Dickus" appears ...

I am waiting for a Tyrannosaur called Megatron/Megatronus

[E.D.G.E. (PainterRex)]

Regardless of y'all's opinions on these kind of names being stupid (What's wrong with having fun?), why are these neat referenced names being attributed to such paltry fossils! Thanos is literally just an axis! Dynamoterror was just some skull and post cranial bits. I swear, we'll just name something Indominus rex (it IS valid) just to infuriate people!  (Gotta be more complete than just some bits though).

[Faelrin]

Just in the few hours I've been gone, you all have been going to town with this whole thing. Absolutely hilarious stuff here.

@MLMjp I haven't really been on the sub since the game came out, but the memes prior to the release were great stuff. Especially the Ceratosaurus ones.

Edit: I finally got around to watching Infinity War and of course here I was thinking of this dinosaur at times throughout.

[MLMjp]

made a speed sculpt XD

JAJAJAJAAJAJAJA, that hilarious!

I am waiting for a Tyrannosaur called Megatron/Megatronus

A dinosaur named after the glorious leader of the Decepticons and favorite transformer of mine? That would be...I´m not sure what that would be to be honest.

[Ravonium]

made a speed sculpt XD
*snip

The funniest thing about this reconstruction is that this species is so poorly known, there's little way of completely disproving the skull shape, unlikely as it is 

[Papi-Anon]

Regardless of y'all's opinions on these kind of names being stupid (What's wrong with having fun?), why are these neat referenced names being attributed to such paltry fossils! Thanos is literally just an axis! Dynamoterror was just some skull and post cranial bits. I swear, we'll just name something Indominus rex (it IS valid) just to infuriate people!  (Gotta be more complete than just some bits though).

Nothing new, remember how paleontologists thought Megaraptor looked like a super-sized dromeosaur based on a single claw?

[Stuckasaurus (Dino Dad Reviews)]

I whipped up these little comics recently poking a bit of fun at Thanos; they were a big hit in the Paleontology Coproliteposting group on Facebook!
I mean, really? You're going to name an *abelisaur* after a guy who's most famous quote is about snapping his fingers?
https://dinodadreviews.com/2018/11/26/thanostrying/

[Stuckasaurus (Dino Dad Reviews)]

BTW, the fourth panel in the second comic is blatantly plagiarized from Memo Koseman's Majungasaurus in "All Yesterdays".

You know, I guess it actually works as a joke about theropod bauplan constraints in general too. As theropods get bigger, more powerful heads, they tend to have to reduce their arms to maintain balance.