Rearing Ceratopsians?

[Takama]

Another simple question that i would like guidance toward the answer for.   Can advanced Ceratopsians stand on two legs?  or are there big heads too heavy to allow it

[amargasaurus cazaui]

I would speculate that it is entirely likely they were able to rear ....mostly because in attempting to contrive how they would reproduce, I just do not see many other alternatives.While that might seem a pat answer, I do think there is little in their anatomy that would prevent it.

[Takama]

Thanks for the information.  Gives me ideas for my Toylines Ceratopsians

[John]

Thanks for the information.  Gives me ideas for my Toylines Ceratopsians

How about something like this for a dynamic pose for a ceratopsian in a kit:
A Styracosaurs rearing up while goring a Daspletosaurus in the throat with it's nasal horn in an end of battle diorama.Maybe have the explanation that the Daspletosaurus was just about to snap up a juvenile Styracosaurus when it's angry parent shows up just in time and in a lucky strike,kills the tyrannosaur.The running youngster could be included on the base.

[Takama]

Actually i was thinking of a Nausatuceratops getting ready to dive bomb its head into a rival male.   Since there's like Four different models of this Dinosaur, i thought i do something different.

[Mamasaurus]

Many dinosaurs were probably capable of many unusual poses we think would be impossible.  Look at extant animals.  Elephants and rhinos are surprisingly agile for such large animals.  Elephants can turn in a circle while standing on their hind legs, horses can "dance" with incredible grace, and in ways most people don't think are possible.  (I've seen horses scratch behind their ears like dogs).  Elephants can walk through a thick forest with hardly a sound....

Also to consider is that fossils don't usually preserve things like cartilage and other soft tissues, and even when they do, the animal is dead and dried out.  It is ten times worse than trying to figure out the amazing range of motion a human is capable of by studying a cadaver.  In life, bodies are fluid, soft, flexible.  There are limits, of course, like the structure of a dromaeosaur's tail would make it quite unable to bend very far vertically. 

In any case, I would imagine ceratopsians could rear if they wanted to.  Not for very long I imagine, but the pose that you described certainly sounds plausible.   

[John]

Actually i was thinking of a Nausatuceratops getting ready to dive bomb its head into a rival male.   Since there's like Four different models of this Dinosaur, i thought i do something different.

That would look good.

[suspsy]

I'm surprised there haven't been any rearing ceratopsid figures as of late.

[Doug Watson]

Shucks, I thought this was about raising baby Ceratopsians. 

[triceratops83]

Shucks, I thought this was about raising baby Ceratopsians. 

Heh, heh. Now THAT would have been interesting.

I'm surprised there haven't been any rearing ceratopsid figures as of late.

Especially considering famous prancing chasmosaurs drawn by Bakker and Paul. It's a good look.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

The most important part of rearing ceratopsians is to make sure they don't get you in the rear. Aka, watch out for the pointy bits.

I get the feeling most just think it's an impossible position for them..or at least very unlikely.

[Takama]

The most important part of rearing ceratopsians is to make sure they don't get you in the rear. Aka, watch out for the pointy bits.

I get the feeling most just think it's an impossible position for them..or at least very unlikely.

is there evidence that back these thoghts?

[Takama]

Thanks for the information.  Gives me ideas for my Toylines Ceratopsians

How about something like this for a dynamic pose for a ceratopsian in a kit:
A Styracosaurs rearing up while goring a Daspletosaurus in the throat with it's nasal horn in an end of battle diorama.Maybe have the explanation that the Daspletosaurus was just about to snap up a juvenile Styracosaurus when it's angry parent shows up just in time and in a lucky strike,kills the tyrannosaur.The running youngster could be included on the base.

You just gave me an idea for a Rubeosaurus, thogh it brings another qustion.  Can a Dinosaur relly get impaled on a Ceratopsians Nose horn?

[DinoLord]

You just gave me an idea for a Rubeosaurus, thogh it brings another qustion.  Can a Dinosaur relly get impaled on a Ceratopsians Nose horn?

I'm sure it happened at one point or another - some foolhardy tyrannosaur got too enthusiastic and had an accident. Though with rhinos I don't think outright impalement happens - but then the predators they have to deal with are much smaller relative to them then for ceratopsians.

[HD-man]

I'm surprised there haven't been any rearing ceratopsid figures as of late.

For what it's worth, there's the following pic (which is what I thought of when I found out about this thread).

[Takama]

I got it. Unwise Juvenile Daspletosaurus  Encounters a Rubeosaurus for the first time. It runs in for the kill but the Rubeosaurus uppercuts its horn into the Neck/lower Jaw of the Theropod, lifting it in the air in the process. John Thanks for the idea.

I'm surprised there haven't been any rearing ceratopsid figures as of late.

For what it's worth, there's the following pic (which is what I thought of when I found out about this thread).

This is the pose was thinking of for the Nasatuceratops.

[John]

I got it. Unwise Juvenile Daspletosaurus  Encounters a Rubeosaurus for the first time. It runs in for the kill but the Rubeosaurus uppercuts its horn into the Neck/lower Jaw of the Theropod, lifting it in the air in the process. John Thanks for the idea.

No problem,glad to be of help.

[Gryphoceratops]

Ceratopsians probably could rear quickly.  Like others said they probably did it mostly to mate.  I wouldn't expect to see them doing it for extended periods of time, however. 

[andrewsaurus rex]

this was a question I was gong to pose until I found this thread.  There is a difference between rearing up momentarily, for a display of some kind or so a male can mount a female and then there is rearing and holding the pose for an extended period of time.  For example it is believed that all sauropods could rear momentarily ie up and then right back down but that only a few could rear and hold the position for long periods, while feeding for example.

So while ceratopsians could all probably rear momentarily, as many here have said, I wonder how many of them could hold the pose for very long and if they could what reason they would even have for doing so.  Feeding?

As with sauropods, I don't see rearing being useful in defense.  It makes the animal very unstable and immobile, exposes the belly and makes it difficult to effectively use its main defensive weapon, its horn(s).  An uppercut type of rearing to gore a predator in the throat would be difficult to execute....why not just ram it in the leg or guts?

I see ceratopsians rearing for courtship display, intimidation of a rival (or perhaps a predator as it approaches) and for the male to mount the female during mating (although an alternate mating style where the female could lie on her side and the male could lie diagonally across her body is possible; this would be much more stable, but I think rhino style (as opposed to doggy style) mating is more likely).

One nice thing about the BOTM ceratopsians' articulation is that they rear very nicely.

[laticauda]

this was a question I was gong to pose until I found this thread.  There is a difference between rearing up momentarily, for a display of some kind or so a male can mount a female and then there is rearing and holding the pose for an extended period of time.  For example it is believed that all sauropods could rear momentarily ie up and then right back down but that only a few could rear and hold the position for long periods, while feeding for example.

So while ceratopsians could all probably rear momentarily, as many here have said, I wonder how many of them could hold the pose for very long and if they could what reason they would even have for doing so.  Feeding?

One nice thing about the BOTM ceratopsians' articulation is that they rear very nicely.

I was wondering the same thing.  How easy and how long could they rear up if they could?  Birds reproduce differently, so how did the male fertilize the female. Would they needed to rear up?