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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 03/17/2009 : 03:35:31
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Well, it took 'em some 25 years to figgger it out, but sooner or later, it always gets figgered. The smallest meat-eating dinosaur yet to be found in North America has been identified from six tiny pelvic bones.
Hesperonychus was the size of a small chicken, and used its rows of serrated teeth to feed on insects, experts say.
The bird-like creature is closely related to Microraptor - a tiny feathered dinosaur discovered in China.
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Sorry 'bout the illustration; it's currently the only one available.
I would not be too quick to call this guy an insectivore. It was, after all, a dromaeosaur, complete with the modified toe carrying the big, "killing claw" and therefore capable of taking on prey a lot bigger than a cockroach.
Hoping for more info soon.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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River Otter
Skeptic Friend
USA
67 Posts |
 Posted - 03/17/2009 : 04:06:59 [Permalink]
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Aww...That little ankle bitter is cute as a button.
How do they link them with the Microraptors in Asia?
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I am not ashamed to confess that I am ignorant of what I do not know. -Cicero
Brother, You say there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit. If there is but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it? Why not all agree, as you can all read the book. -Sagoyewatha,(Red Jacket) - Chief and great orator of the six nations. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2009 : 06:25:32 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by River Otter
Aww...That little ankle bitter is cute as a button.
How do they link them with the Microraptors in Asia?
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Both are dromaeosaurs and as such are related; country cousins if not closer. It is probable that this animal too, was feathered. Here's Microraptor gui -- there are several species known:
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2009 : 15:00:17 [Permalink]
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Neat stuff, Fil!
I'm convinced that the direct ancestor of the birds was one of the very tiniest of dinosaurs. It seems much more likely that a tiny animal made the leap to flying first, as flying's much easier at such a scale. Then larger transitional dino-birds could slowly evolve by perfecting the whole flying-kit of the birds.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2009 : 16:05:11 [Permalink]
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Here's another illustration of Hesperonychus elizabethae, this one assuming feathers sans plucking, from CNN:
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 03/17/2009 16:09:53 |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 03/17/2009 : 17:15:57 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by HalfMooner
Here's another illustration of Hesperonychus elizabethae, this one assuming feathers sans plucking, from CNN:
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Heh, they must think this guy would be welcome at a bird feeder. And they would be if one wanted to chop the local brd population.
This animal is a dromaeosaur and as such, it was, pound for pound, among the most savage of the dinosaurs, including the Tyrannosaurids.
Insect eater my foot! This compact and beautiful, little monster likely preyed upon other dinosaurs, neonates and juviniles, early mammals, and anything else it could rip into swallow-sized chunks.
Gotta love the Raptors, if only because they are no longer around (wish they were, but don't tell nobody....).
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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A leetle feller....
