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avatar_CAWCarcharo

My Theory on Carcharodontosaurinae Evolution

Started by CAWCarcharo, June 01, 2017, 06:43:31 PM

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CAWCarcharo

Okay, so I came up with this Theory for how I believe the Carcharodontosaurinae Branch evolved and used it in a School Project about a year ago.
Since then I've come up with a few slight modifications in my Theory but here's an Overall and Detailed idea of how I think Carcharodontosaurinae evolved. (I'm probably wrong in lots of areas, so pick it apart as much as you want)

Firstly, towards the end of the Late Jurassic Period, there would be three populations of Carcharodontosaurids: one in the form of Veterupristisaurus milneri in the Tendaguru Formation, Africa, one in North America either as a population of Veterupristisaurus milneri or a different Species of the Genus or a different Carcharodontosaurid Taxa and another population in South America which would again be either a population of Veterupristisaurus milneri, a different Species of the Genus or a different Carcharodontosaurid Taxa. Then, the Tithonian Extinction would occur with Sea-level changes causing massive climatic changes and these populations/Species/Genera would adapt to these changes. Then, subsequent Carcharodontosaurid Taxa would evolve and eventually evolve into Tyrannotitan chubutensis and the eventual ancestors of Taurovenator in South America, Acrocanthosaurus atokensis in North America and African Taxa (either a single Taxa or multiple Taxa). Then, Acrocanthosaurus would eventually go extinct due to an event in the Albian, Tyrannotitan would evolve into a descendant Taxa or into Giganotosaurus carolinii and would go extinct due to an event or be out-competed by other Species and African Taxa would evolve into Eocarcharia dinops; now, the reason I've included Eocarcharia dinops is because I personally believe it to be more closely related to Sauroniops and Carcharodontosaurus than Novas et al., 2013 suggested and I believe also that African Carcharodontosaurs would have dwarfed to adapt to the changes from the Late Jurassic Period and then would increase in size through the Cretaceous as they took advantage of the open Niches in their environments. Then, Sauroniops pachytholus would evolve from Eocarcharia due to the amount of new Niches opening in the ecology of Northern Africa. After, Carcharodontosaurus saharicus would evolve from Sauroniops with Giganotosaurus populations evolving into Mapusaurus roseae, along with the appearance of Taurovenator from a separate branch of Carcharodontosaurids. Additionally, Carcharodontosaurus iguidensis would evolve due to climatic changes occurring towards the end of Cenomanian Stage and would have dwarfed and become more Piscivorous in it's diet as it would have taken advantage of new food sources based on how the teeth of C. iguidensis seem to be more conical than those of C. saharicus. Then, the event called the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary event would occur and cause the Extinction of the Carcharodontosaurinae branch of Carcharodontosauridae.

Primarily, The Carcharodontosaurini and Giganotosaurini Families would have evolved to adapt to hunt the Sauropods that they shared their environments with because if you were to compare the sizes of the Carcharodontosaurs with their contemporary Sauropod Prey; then you would see a similar arms race like with Ceratopsians and Tyrannosaurs. Then, Carcharodontosaurus iguidensis would have changed it's diet in order to try and survive the climatic changes caused by the Sub-Marine Volcanic events occurring during the Cenomanian-Turonian Boundary.

Now, I know that there are gaps but eventually I think that these intermediate Taxon will be found. And, I know that some have theorised that Acrocanthosaurus is the descendant to such Carcharodontosaurs like Giganotosaurus and Mapusaurus but the Vertebra Morphology of Veterupristisaurus and South American Carcharodontosaurus like Giganotosaurus in my opinion; are closer than that of Acrocanthosaurus.

So, that's about it. I'm open to any criticism :).


Neosodon

Veterupristisaurus seems like a more likely ancestor to me too. Since Cacararadontosaurus doesn't have the the tall spine like Acrocanthosaurus it doesn't make as much sense that it would be it's descendant. But Veterupristisaurus seems to be fairly incomplete so I wouldn't jump to any conclusions.

"3,000 km to the south, the massive comet crashes into Earth. The light from the impact fades in silence. Then the shock waves arrive. Next comes the blast front. Finally a rain of molten rock starts to fall out of the darkening sky - this is the end of the age of the dinosaurs. The Comet struck the Gulf of Mexico with the force of 10 billion Hiroshima bombs. And with the catastrophic climate changes that followed 65% of all life died out. It took millions of years for the earth to recover but when it did the giant dinosaurs were gone - never to return." - WWD

Bowhead Whale

I wouldn't jump on conclusions either, but... let's say that theory is NOT stupid. Charcarodontosaurus MAY HAVE SHRINKED to respond to poorer food supplies or a shrinked environment. The Falconeri elephant, who lived on Sicilia Island and went extinct during the Roman empire, was not any taller than a big pig. But it was still an elephant, and more, a species that should be still with us today, like the Dodo. So, CAWCarcaro may have Something, here.

Bowhead Whale

Quote from: toy2you on November 09, 2017, 03:02:22 AM
I have also jumped into the conclusion that these new items will be replaced by other people in a short while with different sellers.

!??? What do you mean?

Ravonium

#4
Quote from: Bowhead Whale on November 15, 2017, 08:44:14 PM
Quote from: toy2you on November 09, 2017, 03:02:22 AM
I have also jumped into the conclusion that these new items will be replaced by other people in a short while with different sellers.

!??? What do you mean?


Good to see I'm not the only one who's a bit confused about what posts by the member "toy2you" are supposed to mean.

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