CollectA New for 2016

[Stuckasaurus (Dino Dad Reviews)]

Aren't hippos supposed to be closer to whales than perissodactyls? I've seen some disputed cladograms that also put Andrewsarchus closer to whales as well.

[SBell]

Aren't hippos supposed to be closer to whales than perissodactyls? I've seen some disputed cladograms that also put Andrewsarchus closer to whales as well.

In the cladogram perrisodactyls are, as expected, the sister group to all of the artiodactyl groups. It's how those relate to each other that varies a lot.

[AcroSauroTaurus]

Man, they keep changing that. But however that falls out...Andrewsarchus morphology is decidedly not entelodont morphology. They may have some similarities, but the older animal (Andrewsarchus) has dental morphology that is unlikely to have beocome the big bunodont teeth of entelodonts.

I admit to being very surprised how far apart the hippos and entelodonts are from the pigs and peccaries.

There is a lot of differnet analyses and tests, and many of them come out very different, depending on what is excluded or included!

Although I do notice that Andrewsarchus generally came out close to the entelodonts (although separate). It's especially hard with a taxon like Andrewsarchus though, since it isn't known from much more than a skull.

Yeah, my point was only that they're closely related. I never advocated for the notion that Andrewsarchus is an entelodont, or that it evolved from them. Speaking only for myself of course, I realize others were involved with the conversation.

Also surprised how far hippos are from pigs in the cladogram I posted. It really is hard to keep up with this stuff, but it's fun trying to.

So... what is Andrewsarchus currently thought of as? Because Im hearing everything from entelodont to whale-type thing, to hippo, to mesonychid...

[tanystropheus]

Man, they keep changing that. But however that falls out...Andrewsarchus morphology is decidedly not entelodont morphology. They may have some similarities, but the older animal (Andrewsarchus) has dental morphology that is unlikely to have beocome the big bunodont teeth of entelodonts.

I admit to being very surprised how far apart the hippos and entelodonts are from the pigs and peccaries.

There is a lot of differnet analyses and tests, and many of them come out very different, depending on what is excluded or included!

Although I do notice that Andrewsarchus generally came out close to the entelodonts (although separate). It's especially hard with a taxon like Andrewsarchus though, since it isn't known from much more than a skull.

Yeah, my point was only that they're closely related. I never advocated for the notion that Andrewsarchus is an entelodont, or that it evolved from them. Speaking only for myself of course, I realize others were involved with the conversation.

Also surprised how far hippos are from pigs in the cladogram I posted. It really is hard to keep up with this stuff, but it's fun trying to.

So... what is Andrewsarchus currently thought of as? Because Im hearing everything from entelodont to whale-type thing, to hippo, to mesonychid...

Capybara?

[Bokisaurus]

Wow!
Will the...uhh...(I forgot the name...)
...the new black and white, long clawed, long necked dinosaur be a deluxe or standard model?

Lovely group photo, can't wait till they are available

[Gwangi]

Man, they keep changing that. But however that falls out...Andrewsarchus morphology is decidedly not entelodont morphology. They may have some similarities, but the older animal (Andrewsarchus) has dental morphology that is unlikely to have beocome the big bunodont teeth of entelodonts.

I admit to being very surprised how far apart the hippos and entelodonts are from the pigs and peccaries.

There is a lot of differnet analyses and tests, and many of them come out very different, depending on what is excluded or included!

Although I do notice that Andrewsarchus generally came out close to the entelodonts (although separate). It's especially hard with a taxon like Andrewsarchus though, since it isn't known from much more than a skull.

Yeah, my point was only that they're closely related. I never advocated for the notion that Andrewsarchus is an entelodont, or that it evolved from them. Speaking only for myself of course, I realize others were involved with the conversation.

Also surprised how far hippos are from pigs in the cladogram I posted. It really is hard to keep up with this stuff, but it's fun trying to.

So... what is Andrewsarchus currently thought of as? Because Im hearing everything from entelodont to whale-type thing, to hippo, to mesonychid...

Look at the cladograms Sbell and I posted. If one of them is correct then it shows exactly where Andrewsarchus belongs in relation to all of those animals.

[Halichoeres]

The name Cecantodontomorpha is pretty cumbersome. I hereby propose that we refer to it as the "Whippomorpha."

[terrorchicken]

it will be a mystery until someone finds more bones...
can you imagine the thousands of animals we still don't know about b/c we just havent found their remains?

[SBell]

The name Cecantodontomorpha is pretty cumbersome. I hereby propose that we refer to it as the "Whippomorpha."

Truly they could 'Whippo it good!'

[Gwangi]

it will be a mystery until someone finds more bones...
can you imagine the thousands of animals we still don't know about b/c we just havent found their remains?

I think about it all the time. Even more mind blowing is the number of animals who's remains we'll never find because they didn't leave anything to find. The fossilization process by its very nature requires a certain set of circumstances to even work. What about the animals that lived in places lacking those requirements? As an example, I live in New York state, so we have no dinosaur remains save for a single footprint, nor does most of the northeast United States. Glaciers destroyed any dinosaur fossils that may have been there and now the landscape is covered with trees, not exposed rocky outcrops like the American west. So when you have a couple dozen animals known from a single time and place like the Hell Creek Formation just think about all the animals spanning the rest of the country during that same time and place. There may have been entire families of dinosaurs and other animals we'll never even know about. The entire Mesozoic era, completely unrepresented by even a single fossil in a large swath of a country brimming with dinosaurs. It's saddening and exciting at the same time. You know they were there, but that's where it ends. But it makes you appreciate the fact that organisms ever even fossilize at all, let alone that we can find and study them.

[Gwangi]

The name Cecantodontomorpha is pretty cumbersome. I hereby propose that we refer to it as the "Whippomorpha."

It just sounds ridiculous, but it's certainly easier to say.

[suchomimus]

Anyone noticed the new hips for theropods? I mean just look how sleek metri and the ornithomimid look in the group shot!! Also, can't wait to hear Dr Admin's take on the plesiosaur when it comes out.

2016's gonna be a good year!

[suspsy]

Yes, it looks like CollectA has been paying attention to fan feedback. Firestreak was the first to boast proper theropod hips.

I guess this means I'll end up getting ALL of the 2016 toys. My poor wallet. :p

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I think the bases fixed the hip issue ..the wider hips made them more stable without them.

[stargatedalek]

Personally I'm not fond of it. Yes the hips were a tad unsightly but they were more convenient and aside from Beishanlong all of the bases are nearly identical and very bland. If the bases were removable (yes even if the dinosaurs were unable to stand without them like Colorata) I would feel differently.

[terrorchicken]

it will be a mystery until someone finds more bones...
can you imagine the thousands of animals we still don't know about b/c we just havent found their remains?

I think about it all the time. Even more mind blowing is the number of animals who's remains we'll never find because they didn't leave anything to find. The fossilization process by its very nature requires a certain set of circumstances to even work. What about the animals that lived in places lacking those requirements? As an example, I live in New York state, so we have no dinosaur remains save for a single footprint, nor does most of the northeast United States. Glaciers destroyed any dinosaur fossils that may have been there and now the landscape is covered with trees, not exposed rocky outcrops like the American west. So when you have a couple dozen animals known from a single time and place like the Hell Creek Formation just think about all the animals spanning the rest of the country during that same time and place. There may have been entire families of dinosaurs and other animals we'll never even know about. The entire Mesozoic era, completely unrepresented by even a single fossil in a large swath of a country brimming with dinosaurs. It's saddening and exciting at the same time. You know they were there, but that's where it ends. But it makes you appreciate the fact that organisms ever even fossilize at all, let alone that we can find and study them.

didnt now about there being so few dino remains in the northeast. I figured they have more than the southeast. Florida has zero dino remains but we at least have a vast selection of prehistoric megafauna fossils.
And imagine all the soft bodied undersea creatures that we dont know about b/c they dont fossilize well...

[Libraraptor]

Wow, we´re getting off topic here with every new entry. But it´s very entertaining and illustrative. Especially that mammal relationship thing.

[Appalachiosaurus]

Man, they keep changing that. But however that falls out...Andrewsarchus morphology is decidedly not entelodont morphology. They may have some similarities, but the older animal (Andrewsarchus) has dental morphology that is unlikely to have beocome the big bunodont teeth of entelodonts.

I admit to being very surprised how far apart the hippos and entelodonts are from the pigs and peccaries.

There is a lot of differnet analyses and tests, and many of them come out very different, depending on what is excluded or included!

Although I do notice that Andrewsarchus generally came out close to the entelodonts (although separate). It's especially hard with a taxon like Andrewsarchus though, since it isn't known from much more than a skull.

Yeah, my point was only that they're closely related. I never advocated for the notion that Andrewsarchus is an entelodont, or that it evolved from them. Speaking only for myself of course, I realize others were involved with the conversation.

Also surprised how far hippos are from pigs in the cladogram I posted. It really is hard to keep up with this stuff, but it's fun trying to.

So... what is Andrewsarchus currently thought of as? Because Im hearing everything from entelodont to whale-type thing, to hippo, to mesonychid...

Simply put, we don't know just yet. I'm personally on the mesonychid train, but i'm no professional.

[Yutyrannus]

didnt now about there being so few dino remains in the northeast. I figured they have more than the southeast. Florida has zero dino remains but we at least have a vast selection of prehistoric megafauna fossils.
And imagine all the soft bodied undersea creatures that we dont know about b/c they dont fossilize well...

One of the largest Cenozoic theropods is known from Florida, so it does have dinosaur remains .

[terrorchicken]

lol, at first I was wondering what dinosaur you were talking about ? then I realized what you meant. 

going back on topic, Im still trying to catch up on past collecta releases. I just bought the icthyovenator which is currently en route to me. So I have no problem waiting for these, I'm a very slow collector.