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Re: [Re: Platyhystrix and dinosaur humps/sails]

Hmm... Do the spines in modern lizards' sails resemble the thin ones of Dimetrodon, or the broad ones found in dinosaurs? That would be quite interesting. Also, these fins are only found in males. While it seems to me unlikely that this is the case in many of the dinosaurs and we just happen to keep finding males of these species (who, at least as I understand it, differ enough from finless relatives in other respects that they are indeed seperate genera), someone made mention of perhaps Dimetrodon being the male of one species and Sphenacodon being the female of it. The person who said it sounded somewhat doubtful about it, and I was wondering if anyone could shed some more light on it?

     -M. Nalasco

From: archosaur@usa.net
Reply-To: archosaur@usa.net
To: dinosaur@usc.edu
Subject: Re: [Re: Platyhystrix and dinosaur humps/sails]
Date: 8 Mar 00 00:25:23 EST

Figured I'd add my two cents as well.

I noticed that sail comparisons on the list ranged from many extinct
creatures, to a couple extant mammals.

Since nobody mentioned any extant reptiles that have sails, I figured I might
as well.

At least two chameleon species (_C.quadricornis_ & _C.montium_) have bone
braced sails, like those on spinosauroids and other prehistoric animals.

In these species the sails are used for attracting females (who as you can
imagine, are sail-less) and possibly ward off other males.

Another group of lizards also have sail backs. Basilisks (in particular
_B.plumifrons_) and again it is used in mate attraction.

I'm unsure whether or not basilisks have a bony brace to their sails, but from
their external appearance, it does seem that way.

None of the lizards seem to use their sails for thermoregulating, though I
imagine that it would play a part, even if secondary.

Judging from this, I wonder just how important those sails were when it came
to regulating body temperature.

Meter's out, I'm done.

Jura

Jurassosaurus's Reptipage: A page devoted to the study of the reptilia:

http://reptilis.webjump.com

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