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The largest theropod ever: a herbivore?; What do you think?
Topic Started: Jan 12 2013, 01:02 AM (3,910 Views)
SpinoInWonderland
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Is it possible that the largest theropod that ever lived is a herbivore instead of a carnivore? After all, it's much easier for herbivores to grow to gigantic sizes than carnivores due to lacking the need to catch moving prey...
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SpinoInWonderland
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Before anyone says "Spinosaurus is the largest so the largest theropod is a carnivore", I was talking about an undiscovered herbivorous theropod that could probably have dwarfed Spinosaurus...
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MysteryMeat
Herbivore
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brolyeuphyfusion
Jan 12 2013, 01:02 AM
Is it possible that the largest theropod that ever lived is a herbivore instead of a carnivore? After all, it's much easier for herbivores to grow to gigantic sizes than carnivores due to lacking the need to catch moving prey...
It's not completely impossible, though it's gonna have to be really enormous to top Spinosaurus.
I think it's unlikely. A herbivore that big might need to be at least partially quadrupedal, and theropod arms has shown no adaptation for that.
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theropod
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theorethically quaadruped theropods could evolve and reach enourmous sizes when they are herbivores, but I think tis unlikely. Considering in the history of the planet there are only a handfull of non sauropod creatures that have exceeded spinosaurus size, its built seems already quite well adapted for being big
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MysteryMeat
Herbivore
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theropod
Jan 12 2013, 01:46 AM
theorethically quaadruped theropods could evolve and reach enourmous sizes when they are herbivores, but I think tis unlikely. Considering in the history of the planet there are only a handfull of non sauropod creatures that have exceeded spinosaurus size, its built seems already quite well adapted for being big
Since we don't even have a hint of any theropod hands showing quadrupedal adaptation, I think it's very unlikely it ever happened.
The largest ornithopods likely exceeded Spinosaurus in size, they are semi-quadrupedal.
Also the largest land mammals did, and they are all quadrupedal.
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dino-ken
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Herbivore
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Let me guess - is it a giant Therizinosaurid. Because that could explain how it's a theropod and yet also a herbivore.
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Admantus
Herbivore
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Or it could be a gigantic descendant of limusaurus.
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Daspletosaurus
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Heterotrophic Organism
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If the age of the Dinosaurs has shown us anything its that anything is possible. I think that it would have to a Therizinosaurid, the group seems to have the requirements for the question posed.
Edited by Daspletosaurus, Jan 16 2013, 12:15 PM.
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Black Ice
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I could imagine a crocodile pseudo bipedal like herbivore resembling postoscuhus or something. Highly unlikely though.
Edited by Black Ice, Jan 16 2013, 12:40 PM.
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Kurtz
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brolyeuphyfusion
Jan 12 2013, 01:02 AM
Is it possible that the largest theropod that ever lived is a herbivore instead of a carnivore? After all, it's much easier for herbivores to grow to gigantic sizes than carnivores due to lacking the need to catch moving prey...
make sense
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theropod
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palaeontology, open source and survival enthusiast
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MysteryMeat
Jan 12 2013, 01:56 AM
theropod
Jan 12 2013, 01:46 AM
theorethically quaadruped theropods could evolve and reach enourmous sizes when they are herbivores, but I think tis unlikely. Considering in the history of the planet there are only a handfull of non sauropod creatures that have exceeded spinosaurus size, its built seems already quite well adapted for being big
Since we don't even have a hint of any theropod hands showing quadrupedal adaptation, I think it's very unlikely it ever happened.
The largest ornithopods likely exceeded Spinosaurus in size, they are semi-quadrupedal.
Also the largest land mammals did, and they are all quadrupedal.
Those are the ones that the "handfull" includes, the largest ornithopods and some few land mammals. Apart from those few animals, I cannot think of any. I wouldn´t assume that it is likely that theropods reached far larger sizes in large sauropod territory, when they are already among the largest Terrestrial animals that ever existed. Also, IO don´t think they would drastically change their built, if as fully bipedal animals they could already be that large

And nothing is impossible. Theoretically, nothing indicates there couldn´t have been members of the most variable dinosaur group (including even animals adapted for flight) that evolved a quadrupedal stance. I´m not saying its likely, but so far it´s absolutely within the reign of possibility. I have even given reasons why I don´t consider it likely.
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SpinoInWonderland
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Admantus
Jan 16 2013, 05:50 AM
Or it could be a gigantic descendant of limusaurus.
Or an undiscovered clade of herbivorous theropods...after all, the discovered amount is small compared to the total amount that ever existed...
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Varanus
Autotrophic Organism
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brolyeuphyfusion
Jan 12 2013, 01:02 AM
Is it possible that the largest theropod that ever lived is a herbivore instead of a carnivore? After all, it's much easier for herbivores to grow to gigantic sizes than carnivores due to lacking the need to catch moving prey...
I just want to remind everyone that there is another reason being a herbivore allows an animal to grow large. In any ecosystem there is simply going to be more Kilograms of plant matter than meat. This is because you need to feed several kilograms of plant matter to a herbivore to get it to grow one kilogram. So mathematically there will always be more plants to eat than meat, and big things need to eat a lot.

Sorry that was just a pet peeve of mine.
Edited by Varanus, Jan 27 2013, 12:17 PM.
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Carcharadon
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IMO i could imagine something like this:
Posted Image
But honestly i think its unlikely though.
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Thalassophoneus
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dino-ken
Jan 12 2013, 01:59 AM
Let me guess - is it a giant Therizinosaurid. Because that could explain how it's a theropod and yet also a herbivore.
This is the first thing I thought of. It could also be some kind of giant ornithomimosaur, even larger than Deinocheirus. Such creature would be knuckle-walking on all four and possibly have a large hump similar to that of Deinocheirus where it would store nutrients, after feeding.
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