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Quiz Time! What's the only genus of lizard that can shoot a jet of slime out of it's tail?
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http://www.youtube.com/user/RaptorX863
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Post by raptorx863 on Jan 9, 2014 7:07:53 GMT
Well ladies and gentlemen, we know the colors of extinct marine reptiles!
Abstract:
Throughout the animal kingdom, adaptive colouration serves critical functions ranging from inconspicuous camouflage to ostentatious sexual display, and can provide important information about the environment and biology of a particular organism. The most ubiquitous and abundant pigment, melanin, also has a diverse range of non-visual roles, including thermoregulation in ectotherms. However, little is known about the functional evolution of this important biochrome through deep time, owing to our limited ability to unambiguously identify traces of it in the fossil record. Here we present direct chemical evidence of pigmentation in fossilized skin, from three distantly related marine reptiles: a leatherback turtle, a mosasaur and an ichthyosaur. We demonstrate that dark traces of soft tissue in these fossils are dominated by molecularly preserved eumelanin, in intimate association with fossilized melanosomes. In addition, we suggest that contrary to the countershading of many pelagic animals, at least some ichthyosaurs were uniformly dark-coloured in life. Our analyses expand current knowledge of pigmentation in fossil integument beyond that of feathers, allowing for the reconstruction of colour over much greater ranges of extinct taxa and anatomy. In turn, our results provide evidence of convergent melanism in three disparate lineages of secondarily aquatic tetrapods. Based on extant marine analogues, we propose that the benefits of thermoregulation and/or crypsis are likely to have contributed to this melanisation, with the former having implications for the ability of each group to exploit cold environments.
Link: Skin pigmentation provides evidence of convergent melanism in extinct marine reptiles
News story: Ancient Sea Monsters Were Black, Study Finds
My thoughts:
This is an AMAZING discovery. Not only is this the first non-feather study of the pigment of an extinct vertebrate, thus expanding the possibility of even large dinosaurs having melanin preserved and thus their colors possible to reconstruct, but it allows us to compare and learn MUCH more about the biology and lifestyles of marine reptiles, and see how evolutionary trends changed in coloration between families and throughout time.
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themechabaryonyx789
Bowie Dave
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Post by themechabaryonyx789 on Jan 9, 2014 7:39:10 GMT
Amazing!!
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thesporerex
"May the flames guide thee"
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Post by thesporerex on Jan 9, 2014 8:15:33 GMT
That's fucking awesome. This is a way to find the skin colour of a bunch of new animals like you said.
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Theropod
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admin
Theropoda Entertainment
Ask through PM
Thero
Genyodectes
Eagle
{"image":"https://66.media.tumblr.com/bec0264f6aea4d9a0137ba0694abea69/tumblr_mmae6u05vY1relrdqo1_1280.jpg","color":"000000"}
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Post by Theropod on Jan 9, 2014 14:50:04 GMT
This is amazing, I might make a life restoration of a marine reptile based on this later.
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Uhh... Ughhh..... Uggghhhh...... skypeusername
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DJ Spinosaurus
just call me dj
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alexcarcharo5
What is a YouTube?
skypeusername
Train
Spinosaurus
Red Panda
i am cool
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Post by DJ Spinosaurus on Jan 9, 2014 21:51:12 GMT
AND THIS NEWS IS FUCKING AMAZING
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Post by themechabaryonyx789 on Jan 9, 2014 21:54:50 GMT
I KNOW LETS MAKE A SEA MONSTER ROLEPLAY We can just use the monster roleplay or dinosaur roleplay...
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Sept 19, 2022 0:50:28 GMT
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admin
Theropoda Entertainment
Ask through PM
Thero
Genyodectes
Eagle
{"image":"https://66.media.tumblr.com/bec0264f6aea4d9a0137ba0694abea69/tumblr_mmae6u05vY1relrdqo1_1280.jpg","color":"000000"}
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Post by Theropod on Jan 9, 2014 23:27:17 GMT
No it will not. I would also advise keeping this thread on topic. Anyway, we shouldn't; The dinosaur roleplay is for prehistoric creatures, I don't see why not stick to there. We also have too many subsections for roleplay already.
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Allosaurus Rex
Jurassic Killer
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cryolophosaurus
CryolophoFan2010
Allosaurus
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Post by Allosaurus Rex on Jan 10, 2014 2:32:20 GMT
this is a fucking amazing discovery. i really like the dark coloration on these animals.
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ThePrehistoricMaster
Velociraptor
Posts: 9 Likes Received: 1
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqecyU9r7HA26B6y3UV03EQ
Favourite Dinosaur: Yutyrannus
Favourite Animal: Yutyrannus
Joined: Jan 1, 2014 23:03:11 GMT
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ThePrehistoricMaster
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theprehistoricmaster
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqecyU9r7HA26B6y3UV03EQ
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Post by ThePrehistoricMaster on Feb 4, 2014 11:35:56 GMT
I made a video.
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Post by themechabaryonyx789 on Feb 4, 2014 16:19:40 GMT
Awesome
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superhamdav
Hainosaurus is now congeneric with Tylosaurus. I guess that means that it's Tylosaurus bernardi now.
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superhamdav
Macrophyseter Pictures
Discord>Skype, whatever that is.
I heard inhaling it helps your nose congestion and all.
Whatha's dayuinausoar?
Tylosaurinae mosasaurs
http://i.imgur.com/Ai7iPV0.png
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Post by superhamdav on Mar 10, 2016 23:30:09 GMT
nice. Now we know what we need to find the color of all dinos! Amazing! But I still dont get how one study of 3 marine reptiles will prove it, wouldn't it be possible that it was just one trait, and not the only?
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