Upcoming Dino Exhibit in DC

[dgmilner]

Spinosaurus: Lost Giant of the Cretaceous
September 12, 2014 - April 12, 2015
National Geographic Museum
Washington, DC
http://events.nationalgeographic.com/events/exhibits/2014/09/12/spinosaurus-lost-giant-cretaceous/

[CityRaptor]

I think their advertising slogan is a bit misleading, given that old Spino has become a Stock Dinosaur since JPIII.

[stargatedalek]

oh yes this
there was a huge mix-up on the Primal Carnage forums when someone saw this advert and thought a complete skeleton had been found

[Everything_Dinosaur]

The Spinosaurus image shows spiny tips on the sail, this is an unusual interpretation, one that we can't remember seeing before.  Is there evidence for these in other  spinosaurids?  We're not sure.

[stargatedalek]

its just an artistic feature, although the sail itself is an unlikely structure, a hump or ridge is more likely

[stoneage]

I wonder if they will release the 3D movie of the marine reptiles and flying beast.

[stoneage]

its just an artistic feature, although the sail itself is an unlikely structure, a hump or ridge is more likely

How come then all the illustrations I have seen have sails?

[stargatedalek]

I blame JP3 for that

look at sail backed animals (dimetrodon for example) the spines are thin
then look at something like a bison, the "spines" are thicker neural columns, much like those of spinosaurus

[stoneage]

I blame JP3 for that

look at sail backed animals (dimetrodon for example) the spines are thin
then look at something like a bison, the "spines" are thicker neural columns, much like those of spinosaurus

Toys were being made before JP3 was made in 2001.  Starlux had a Spinosaurus back in 1978 and Carnegie back in 1988 that had fins.

In 1997 Bowmen suggested that Spinosaurus had a hump instead of a sail.  He reasoned that Spinosaurus lived in a dry arid desert landscape.  But Spinosaurus lived in a wet humid enviornment where food and water would have been plentiful.  Could you image a hugh dinosaurus like this in the desert?  Bowmen also thought because of the extra weight of the hump Spinosaurus walked on four feet.  He also thought the humps could be used to store energy or to maintain a high constant body temperature, which he didn't think dinosaurs were capable of without a hump or some other anotomical feature.  Strangely no other dinosaur in its enviornment had neural spines like this.  Also Spinosaurus spines are much longer and go farthur down the back  then Bison which use them to gain strength in the neck region and there is no reason to think it needed extra strength in the neck region.  Especially when T-rex didn't need this adaptation.  In 2008 a spine was recovered that had been bitten in two. It's believed that a Carcharondontosaurus was responsible.  The only way it could have done this is if it was exposed with only a thin layer of skin.  Otherwise it would have had to bite through thick fat and muscle.

[stargatedalek]

I was mainly poking fun at the JP3 spinosaurus as a whole being reused so often

[Gwangi]

Spinosaurus has been depicted with a sail far more often than with a hump. Even the old carnosaur interpretations of Spinosaurus had a sail. Personally I find a sail far more likely than a hump for this particular animal.

[stoneage]

Spinosaurus has been depicted with a sail far more often than with a hump. Even the old carnosaur interpretations of Spinosaurus had a sail. Personally I find a sail far more likely than a hump for this particular animal.

Have you ever seen a spinosaurus toy with a hump?

[stargatedalek]

the old (orange) Favorite co spinosaurus had a slight ridge