Re: Speculative dino species

[Daniel Bensen <dbensen@gotnet.net>]

Andy Farke:>>At any rate, we're likely to have some major faunal
turnovers "when continents collide." <<
Most likely.  I vote that we don't kill off all of the South American megafauna,
as actually happened when the Americas hit each other. There is no logical
reason for this, but (as far as I can tell) there was no logical reason for the
South American marsupials all going extinct in the real world, so 'because I
feel like it', may be permissible.

>>Maybe therizinosaurs would return to dominance (after being
nearly driven to extinction by South American predators) as the main plant
eaters of the tundra.<<
Right, see my woolly therizinosaur
http://members.gotnet.net/maier/Spec.html

Matti Aumala:>>It's funny how much your dinosaurs remind
me of the speculative dinosaur species I made up just last spring. <<
Great minds...

>> I had these
large herbivores split into two different lineages, the long-necked
ones that resemble giant herbivorous birds like moas, and the
"knuckle-walking" facultatively quadrapedla short-necked ones with
nose crests:<<
I like the first idea, but I don't know enough about therizinosaur hand anatomy
to make a judgment about the knuckle-walkers.

>>A few small arboreal forms, an oviraptor that is like a cross between
a monkey and a parrot, and a deinonychosaur "woodpecker", with a long
modified third finger for reaching for the grubs from their tunnels
under the bark:<<
I think it's more likely that only one branch of the maniraptors made it into
the trees, rather than two or more.

>>They evolved into
more owl-like forms with perfect stereoscopic vision, acute hearing
and short jaws with a curved beak (the one with the puffy plumage and
fluffy feet is an arctic species):<<
I have no problem with owl-dinosaurs, but I think they would look rather like
Troodon, with very long arms and legs for snatching critters.

Dan