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| The largest theropod ever: a herbivore?; What do you think? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 12 2013, 01:02 AM (3,910 Views) | |
| SpinoInWonderland | Jan 12 2013, 01:02 AM Post #1 |
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The madness has come back...
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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 | Jan 12 2013, 01:04 AM Post #2 |
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The madness has come back...
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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 | Jan 12 2013, 01:06 AM Post #3 |
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Herbivore
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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 | Jan 12 2013, 01:46 AM Post #4 |
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palaeontology, open source and survival enthusiast
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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 | Jan 12 2013, 01:56 AM Post #5 |
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Herbivore
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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 | Jan 12 2013, 01:59 AM Post #6 |
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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 | Jan 16 2013, 05:50 AM Post #7 |
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Herbivore
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Or it could be a gigantic descendant of limusaurus. |
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| Daspletosaurus | Jan 16 2013, 12:14 PM Post #8 |
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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 | Jan 16 2013, 12:40 PM Post #9 |
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Drom King
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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 | Jan 17 2013, 10:22 PM Post #10 |
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Kleptoparasite
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make sense |
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| theropod | Jan 17 2013, 10:30 PM Post #11 |
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palaeontology, open source and survival enthusiast
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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 | Jan 22 2013, 07:07 PM Post #12 |
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The madness has come back...
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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 | Jan 27 2013, 12:16 PM Post #13 |
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Autotrophic Organism
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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 | Jan 27 2013, 02:39 PM Post #14 |
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Shark Toothed Reptile
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IMO i could imagine something like this:![]() But honestly i think its unlikely though. |
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| Thalassophoneus | Nov 2 2015, 06:15 AM Post #15 |
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Pelagic Killer
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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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