Reconstructing soft anatomy

[Yutyrannus]

Thanks for changing the title!

[Ultimatedinoking]

What's wrong with the second brach?

[DinoToyForum]

Thanks for changing the title!

That's okay. Hopefully the discussion is calmer from now on too. 

[Yutyrannus]

Nostrils in wrong place, Giraffititan head, and elephant feet. It is better as not being shrink-wrapped though.

NOTE: You should not trust Jurassic Park's depictions of any species.

[Ultimatedinoking]

Nostrils in wrong place, Giraffititan head, and elephant feet. It is better as not being shrink-wrapped though.

It was one of the few pics I could find that wasn't skinny or covered in cervical spines.

I personally think giraffititan is just a big species of brachiosaurus.

[Yutyrannus]

Nostrils in wrong place, Giraffititan head, and elephant feet. It is better as not being shrink-wrapped though.

It was one of the few pics I could find that wasn't skinny or covered in cervical spines.

I personally think giraffititan is just a big species of brachiosaurus.

Alright.

Probably not but I suppose it's possible. However it still has elephant feet and nostrils in the wrong spot.

[Ultimatedinoking]

Nostrils in wrong place, Giraffititan head, and elephant feet. It is better as not being shrink-wrapped though.

It was one of the few pics I could find that wasn't skinny or covered in cervical spines.

I personally think giraffititan is just a big species of brachiosaurus.

Alright.

Probably not but I suppose. However it still has elephant feet and nostrils in the wrong spot.

I know, they are support to be shaped like columns. And the nose is at the tip of the head.

[Yutyrannus]

Nostrils in wrong place, Giraffititan head, and elephant feet. It is better as not being shrink-wrapped though.

It was one of the few pics I could find that wasn't skinny or covered in cervical spines.

I personally think giraffititan is just a big species of brachiosaurus.

Alright.

Probably not but I suppose. However it still has elephant feet and nostrils in the wrong spot.

I know, they are support to be shaped like columns. And the nose is at the tip of the head.

The foot itself should be sort of crescent shaped.

Correct, it is.

[Ultimatedinoking]

Nostrils in wrong place, Giraffititan head, and elephant feet. It is better as not being shrink-wrapped though.

It was one of the few pics I could find that wasn't skinny or covered in cervical spines.

I personally think giraffititan is just a big species of brachiosaurus.

Alright.

Probably not but I suppose. However it still has elephant feet and nostrils in the wrong spot.

I know, they are support to be shaped like columns. And the nose is at the tip of the head.

The foot itself should be sort of crescent shaped.

Correct, it is.

Talk like yoda, you do 

Ok, moon shaped footprints then.

[Yutyrannus]

Nostrils in wrong place, Giraffititan head, and elephant feet. It is better as not being shrink-wrapped though.

It was one of the few pics I could find that wasn't skinny or covered in cervical spines.

I personally think giraffititan is just a big species of brachiosaurus.

Alright.

Probably not but I suppose. However it still has elephant feet and nostrils in the wrong spot.

I know, they are support to be shaped like columns. And the nose is at the tip of the head.

The foot itself should be sort of crescent shaped.

Correct, it is.

Talk like yoda, you do 

Ok, moon shaped footprints then.

Huh

Yes. Also, some footprints suggest that that were actually small, sharp scales lining the underside of the foot.

[Ultimatedinoking]

Nostrils in wrong place, Giraffititan head, and elephant feet. It is better as not being shrink-wrapped though.

It was one of the few pics I could find that wasn't skinny or covered in cervical spines.

I personally think giraffititan is just a big species of brachiosaurus.

Alright.

Probably not but I suppose. However it still has elephant feet and nostrils in the wrong spot.

I know, they are support to be shaped like columns. And the nose is at the tip of the head.

The foot itself should be sort of crescent shaped.

Correct, it is.

Talk like yoda, you do 

Ok, moon shaped footprints then.

Huh

Yes. Also, some footprints suggest that that were actually small, sharp scales lining the underside of the foot.

Nevermind

Sauropod cleats?

[Yutyrannus]

Nostrils in wrong place, Giraffititan head, and elephant feet. It is better as not being shrink-wrapped though.

It was one of the few pics I could find that wasn't skinny or covered in cervical spines.

I personally think giraffititan is just a big species of brachiosaurus.

Alright.

Probably not but I suppose. However it still has elephant feet and nostrils in the wrong spot.

I know, they are support to be shaped like columns. And the nose is at the tip of the head.

The foot itself should be sort of crescent shaped.

Correct, it is.

Talk like yoda, you do 

Ok, moon shaped footprints then.

Huh

Yes. Also, some footprints suggest that that were actually small, sharp scales lining the underside of the foot.

Nevermind

Sauropod cleats?

Yeah, I guess.

[Yutyrannus]

What does everyone think of lips on theropods? I think that ceratosaurs, tyrannosaurs, and spinosaurs are basically the only theropod groups where their teeth would've protruded past the lips.

[stargatedalek]

I've seen accurate reconstructions of ceratosaurs and tyrannosaurs with fully concealed teeth, and spinosaurus with mostly concealed teeth (think like a dolphin, instead of a gharial)

[Yutyrannus]

So have I but I don't think that lips that fully conceal the teeth make much sense for spinosaurs, just because of the way the teeth are set in the jaw.

[HD-man]

What does everyone think of lips on theropods? I think that ceratosaurs, tyrannosaurs, and spinosaurs are basically the only theropod groups where their teeth would've protruded past the lips.

I've seen accurate reconstructions of ceratosaurs and tyrannosaurs with fully concealed teeth, and spinosaurus with mostly concealed teeth (think like a dolphin, instead of a gharial)

To add to the above quotes, see the following quote & pics AWA Keillor's "Jane, In the Flesh: The State of Life-Reconstruction in Paleoart" ( http://www.amazon.com/Tyrannosaurid-Paleobiology-Life-Michael-Parrish/dp/0253009308/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408074079&sr=1-1 ).

Quoting GSPaul ( http://blog.press.princeton.edu/2010/09/24/pgs-daily-dinosaur-theropod-vs-ornithischian-skull-and-muscles/ ):

Among amphibians, tuataras, lizards, and snakes, the teeth tend to be set close to one another along fairly sharp-rimmed jaws, and the mouth is sealed and the teeth covered by nonmuscular lips when closed. This arrangement appears to be true of most theropods, and sauropods as well. An exception among theropods would be the spinosaurs, which have a more crocodilian arrangement in which at least the front teeth are widely spaced in separate sockets, so they may have been lipless and their snaggly teeth exposed when the jaws were closed. Some theropods and ornithischians evolved beaks, and it has been suggested that prosauropods had incipient beaks.

[Yutyrannus]

Yeah, I've seen those.

[Dinoguy2]

Regarding Giraffatitan, most reconstructions with the distinctive "crest" are probably wrong. The nostril openings take up the entire face:



This strongly implies the "crest" is bony support for  large, dome-like resonating chamber, making the whole top of the head rounded past the slope of the crest. It may have looked more like the melon of a beluga:

[Trisdino]

Edit: I wont even bother to let that stay up, basically, I do not think the title should have been changed, it was not straight up insulting, in fact, it perfectly summed up his opinion. Sure, it was blunt, but that does not change the truth in it. I have changed it again, but this time to something which I hope is not quite as controversial, mainly because it is not directed at anybody specifically.

[SBell]

Edit: I wont even bother to let that stay up, basically, I do not think the title should have been changed, it was not straight up insulting, in fact, it perfectly summed up his opinion. Sure, it was blunt, but that does not change the truth in it. I have changed it again, but this time to something which I hope is not quite as controversial, mainly because it is not directed at anybody specifically.

It's never been about hate--it's about fear. Things change, and instead of being inspiring about the nature of our world and discovery (science, in other words) people can react with hostility because the changes are 'too much' or they haven't yet adapted (note science!).

One question scanning through this thread (it's a little long...) and was never made obviously clear--is anyone who is taking major part in the discussions of this thread, a professional paleontologist/morphologist/biologist/anatomist, etc? Because that actually matters.