The idea of non-avian dinosaurs with the diverse features and behaviors birds have is very fun to me, and I hope depictions of birdsaurs becomes as common as classic dinosaur depictions.
Comment on tall tails
snooggums@piefed.world 3 weeks ago
So one of the biggest leaps they have made in reconstruction over the last few decades is matching similar bone structure that supports soft tissue. It doesn't work for all soft tissue, but if the beavers tail bones have bumps or other features that hint at supporting extra soft tissue there is a chance.
All the stuff birds have, like inflatable neck sacks and feathers that move with muscles are examples of things we absolutely wouldn't get with fossils that are even better than a beaver tail.
sleen@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
I always appreciate an enthusiastic and educational response to situations like this.
ch00f@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Also, in 40 million years, you can match the beaver fossils to the bones of their still living descendants and find similar features.
GraniteM@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Well, now I want to see an artist’s rendition of a T. rex doing this:
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Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zone 3 weeks ago
The Prehistoric Planet documentary series does it with sauropods, it’s pretty sick.
Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 3 weeks ago
i’m also a big fan of carnotaurus’ tiny piddly arms being brightly colored on the inside and them waving them around like mad
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