Re: Regarding Spinosaurus

["Fam Jansma" <fam.jansma@worldonline.nl>]

David wrote:

>Which is about the most practical use there is.
>
True, but why evolving something as complex as this sail with spines up to
nearly 2metres? The sail was made of bone, making it able to stand erect for
all the time (and that without viagra :)), but when you have the purpose to
impress some-one, wouldn't it do the job without the bone? Just the sail
would be enough and it should impress other dino's as well. Look at that
lizard in Australia, with it's extending neck flaps it impresses even me!


>> [...], he dug himself in to the ground?

>*Carcharodontosaurus* was full of air-sacs that even extended into its
tail.
>Maybe this is an answer (just speculating). *Paralititan*, as a titanosaur,
>should have been pretty hollow likewise.


As far as I know of the remains known from Carcharodontosaurus are very
fragmentary, but are caudal vertebrae known of it? And actually what
elements are known in the different specimens really referable to
Carcharodontosaurus? I've been trying so find more info, but all the search
turns up is the skull discovered by Sereno which is way to large. But thanks
for the info!

>That are just three.

Spinosaurus, Ouranosaurus, Rebbachisaurus, Nigersaurus, Suchomimus,
Rayosaurus, Amargasaurus Spinosaurus sp. (the huge skulled Spinosaurus) I
rest my case... South America was at the time around the same place on the
globe so it to had sailed-creatures and a comparable fauna.


>They are cold-blooded and spend most of their time lying around.
>*Suchomimus* at least looks like having spended much of its time at least
>standing, if not walking, and was pretty certainly warm-blooded.


Without real evidence there is no way to be certain about the matter, it has
been proven that maniraptors are partly warm-blooded, it has been proven
Ornithopods were probably warm-blooded, but there is no evidence saying that
Spinosaurs were warm-blooded. Alright, I know, opening old wounds here, but
the sail could be evidence that is was col-blooded. "Carnosaurs" (wrong
term...) have a totally different physiology than the agile "Coelurosaurus"
by being more massive and all, so when saying if the Coelurosaurs were
warmblooded, than Carnosaurs must be warmblooded is a wrong thought. They
did evolve both from the same stock, but I doesn't mean they are alike in
life-style and all.