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| Megatherium v Therizinosaurus | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 17 2012, 11:19 PM (13,457 Views) | |
| Taipan | Jan 17 2012, 11:19 PM Post #1 |
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Megatherium americanum Megatherium ("Great Beast") was a genus of elephant-sized ground sloths endemic to Central America and South America that lived from the Pliocene through Pleistocene existing approximately 5.3 million years. Its size was exceeded by only a few other land mammals, including mammoths and the even larger Paraceratherium. Megatherium was one of the largest mammals known, weighing up to eight tons, about as much as an African bull elephant. Although it was primarily a quadruped, its footprints show that it was capable of assuming a bipedal stance. When it stood on its hind legs it was about twenty feet (6 m) tall, twice the height of an elephant. This sloth, like a modern anteater, walked on the sides of its feet because its claws prevented it from putting them flat on the ground. Megatherium species were members of the abundant Pleistocene megafauna, large mammals that lived during the Pleistocene epoch. Megatherium had a robust skeleton with a large pelvic girdle and a broad muscular tail. Its large size enabled it to feed at heights unreachable by other contemporary herbivores. Rising on its powerful hind legs and using its tail to form a tripod, Megatherium could support its massive body weight while using the curved claws on its long forelegs to pull down branches with the choicest leaves. Its jaw is believed to have housed a long tongue, which it would then use to pull leaves into its mouth, similar to the modern tree sloth. ![]() Therizinosaurus cheloniformis Therizinosaurus (play /θɛˌrɪzɨnɵˈsɔrəs/; 'scythe lizard', from the Greek therizo meaning 'to reap' or 'to cut off' and sauros meaning 'lizard') is a genus of very large theropod dinosaur. Therizinosaurus lived in the late Cretaceous Period (late Campanian-early Maastrichtian stages, around 70 million years ago), and was one of the last and largest representatives of its unique group, the Therizinosauria. Its fossils were first discovered in Mongolia and they were originally thought to belong to a turtle-like reptile (hence the species name, T. cheloniformis — "turtle-formed"). It is known only from a few bones, including gigantic hand claws, from which it gets its name. Though the fossil remains of Therizinosaurus are incomplete, inferences can be made about its physical characteristics based on related therizinosaurids. Like other members of its family, Therizinosaurus probably had a small skull atop a long neck, and had a bipedal gait and a heavy, deep, broad body (as evidenced by the wide pelvis of other therizinosaurids). Its forelimbs may have reached a length of 2.5 metres (8 feet) or even 3.5 metres for the largest known specimen. Its hindlimbs ended in four weight-bearing toes, unlike other theropod groups, in which the first toe was reduced to a dewclaw. Gregory S. Paul in 2010 estimated the length of Therizinosaurus at ten metres, the weight at five tonnes. It is the largest therizinosaur known and the largest known member of the Maniraptora. The most distinctive feature of Therizinosaurus was the presence of three gigantic claws on each digit of its frontlimbs. These were common among therizinosaurs but especially large in Therizinosaurus, and while the largest claw specimens are incomplete, they probably reached just under 1 metre (3.28 ft) in length. The claws are the longest known from any animal. The claws were relatively straight, only gradually tapering into a point, and extremely narrow, transversely flattened. ![]() _____________________________________________________________________
Edited by Taipan, Jan 17 2012, 11:20 PM.
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| DinosaurMichael | Jan 17 2012, 11:26 PM Post #2 |
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Apex Predator
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I vote for Megatherium. Sure Therizinosaurus has longer claws but those were mainly used for pulling down branches. and probably won't hurt the Megatherium since it has armor under it's fur. Megatherium's claws are much more stronger and robust, which is why I think it would win. |
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| Megafelis Fatalis | Jan 17 2012, 11:28 PM Post #3 |
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Carnivore
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Any weight estimates for Therizinosaurus ? |
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| DinosaurMichael | Jan 17 2012, 11:29 PM Post #4 |
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Apex Predator
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5-6 tons most likely. |
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| Mauro20 | Jan 17 2012, 11:41 PM Post #5 |
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Badass
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I think the Megatherium is sufficiently robust and armed to defeat this dinosaur. |
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| Mack | Jan 18 2012, 01:04 AM Post #6 |
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Heterotrophic Organism
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Not sure if Therizinosaurus claws would even pentrate the sloths "supposed" chain-mail-like armour. |
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| Megafelis Fatalis | Jan 18 2012, 02:26 AM Post #7 |
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Carnivore
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Thanx Dinosaur Michael. I think Megatherium would win. Its arms looks more robust to me and it has a size advantage. Plus, the claws of Therizinosaurus look too long to be controlled easily. |
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| DinosaurMichael | Jan 18 2012, 03:38 AM Post #8 |
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Apex Predator
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You're welcome and I don't think it would have a size advantage. Both were most likely the same size. Edited by DinosaurMichael, Feb 26 2012, 10:34 PM.
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| Apex | Jan 18 2012, 06:00 AM Post #9 |
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Omnivore
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megatherium chain mail armour build like a tank deadly slasher claws it wins |
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| DinosaurMichael | Jan 18 2012, 09:50 AM Post #10 |
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Apex Predator
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Agreed. |
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| Wolf Eagle | Jan 18 2012, 10:24 AM Post #11 |
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M E G A P H Y S E T E R
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I think Megatherium would win. It had a great size advantage and was better built. I don't think the claws of the Therizinosaurus would be effective here. |
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| SameerPrehistorica | Jan 19 2012, 01:44 AM Post #12 |
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Heterotrophic Organism
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Megatherium wins....Size does matters.. |
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| GreenDragon | Jan 19 2012, 09:17 AM Post #13 |
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Autotrophic Organism
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The big bad sloth crushs the dino! Seriously, its more robust, and the Therizinos claws look so unwieldy. |
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| Superpredator | Jan 19 2012, 09:21 AM Post #14 |
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Apex Predator
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^agreed also therizinosaurus' claws look fragile while the mammals look's robust |
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| Rai'Drik | May 14 2012, 12:06 AM Post #15 |
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Autotrophic Organism
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Its like a slap fight between Freddy Krueger and Edward Scissor-hands |
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