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This has led to the influential idea that dinosaurs like Stegosaurus had a "second brain" in the tail, which may have been responsible for controlling reflexes in the rear portion of the body. This "brain" was proposed to have given a Stegosaurus a temporary boost when it was under threat from predators. [42]
The tail club (or tail knob) of Ankylosaurus was composed of two large osteoderms, with a row of small osteoderms at the midline, and two small osteoderms at the tip; these osteoderms obscured the last tail vertebra. As only the tail club of specimen AMNH 5214 is known, the range of variation between individuals is unknown.
The first vertebra of the tail has a ridge on its ventral surface called a keel. In the first third of the tail, the bases of the neural spines are extensively subdivided into cavities caused by contact with air sacs (part of the dinosaur's respiratory system). In addition, the anterior and posterior boundaries of these neural spines have ...
The cerebellum ("little brain") is a dorsal part of the hind brain between the brain stem and the cerebrum and serves in controlling balance, posture, and movement. This part of the brain usually cannot be observed in dinosaur fossils as it is rarely seen on endocasts; an exception is the possible preservation of cerebellar folia in Conchoraptor.
The study concluded that Tyrannosaurus had the relatively largest brain of all adult non-avian dinosaurs with the exception of certain small maniraptoriforms (Bambiraptor, Troodon and Ornithomimus). The study found that Tyrannosaurus' s relative brain size was still within the range of modern reptiles, being at most 2 standard deviations above ...
Tarchia was a medium-sized ankylosaur, measuring around 5.5–6 metres (18–20 ft) long and weighing up to 2.5–3 metric tons (2.8–3.3 short tons). [9] [10] If ZPAL MgD I/113 indeed belongs to the genus, it would have belonged to an individual measuring 5.8–6.7 metres (19–22 ft) long.
The tail may have served as a counterbalance for the neck. The middle part of the tail had "double beams" (oddly shaped chevron bones on the underside, which gave Diplodocus its name). They may have provided support for the vertebrae, or perhaps prevented the blood vessels from being crushed if the animal's heavy tail pressed against the ground.
It is notable for being the most species-rich non-avian dinosaur genus. Up to 12 species are known, from across China, Mongolia, Russia, and Thailand. The species of Psittacosaurus were obligate bipeds at adulthood, with a high skull and a robust beak. One individual was found preserved with long filaments on the tail, similar to those of ...