Spinosaurus: My Analysis

Nice analysis. I hope no one brings up any other carnivores.

^Thanks! I also hope so. The only carnivores I hope are mentioned are modern crocodilians.

Yes. And I am so glad you think they ate tills crocs and not just ate fish.

I agree SFKing. Nice post. 

SCI-FI KING25 - How very compelling! I've been following the stories concerning the "Spinosaurus Revision" since they broke and can say for certain that the conjecture being thrown back and forth is leading to quite a bit of interesting hypothesis. I greatly enjoy the time you took with your presentation - exceptionally well-devised! Thank you very much for sharing this with us! :)

Something Real, long time no see, good to see you back. 

Hello. I am not sure who you are but I say hello and I'm tyrant king but you cclassless me tyrant or king wich ever you prefer.

I wonder... (sorry for mentioning a modern-day predator that isn't a crocodilian but I don't see how the animal I'm about to mention could cause an arguement)

What if spino had a tail fin similar to modern day eals?

Picture for referance:

That's an interesting theory Silver. It's possible, and would assist it for an aquatic lifestyle. 

Silver, scifi and I wre mainly talking about theropods other then spinosaurus. 

I just realized that crocodilians have something present as well :P (the eal demonstrates it much better though)

MR.HAPPY9097 - It's nice to be back, sweetie. This girl's been off on a much-needed holiday to the beach. It's exceptionally wonderful to be welcomed back after a break! Thank you so very much! :)

Interesting discussion, SFK, well stated.

Also, welcome back Something Real, everyone did miss you around here.

You're welcome. Always nice to see familiar faces after so long. It's always nice to take a holiday. 

I think dpino had a tail like a crocodile .

Welcome back something real, not sure when exactly you left, but stuff has been happening lately. Lots of stuff.

@Something Real, it's goot to have you back on the forums!

Also, thanks for the positive reviews! SF, I like your eel theory. It's pretty interesting. I'm also happy a RvS war didn't spawn in the comments.

Nice! I totally agree, I find it hard to believe it walked on all fours.

Still, I still think it didn't walk on all fours.

^Neither do I.

It was most certainly bipedal. It may have gone on all fours every so often, but not regularly. 

I know, if I remember correctly some dinosaurs soemtimes went on all fours, hydrosaurs if I'm correct.

EVERYONE - You guys are so very sweet! Thank you ever so much for welcoming me back so warmly! I'll do my very best to earn this reception. You certainly know how to make a girl blush 10 shades! Thank you all so much! :)

Well Something Real, you know we're a very friendly forum for the most part. We've had our issues, but that's once in a blue moon, and we're usually good again the next day. 

MR>HAPPY9097 - Very nicely-said, sweetie. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next! ;)

im tempted to say the T word just because you said not to

If you do we may have to ex-communicate you.

im just kidding man! im only joking around! i wont do it!

Good. But the collective is watching you. You've been warned.

0_0

The collective understands your concern, and would like to comfort you by saying "It's all going to be ok." Sadly, the collective does not agree that to comfort you would be the correct course of action. So, we continue to observe.

He's a niceguy, you don't have to rex-communicate him.

plz no lock.

Anyway, after looking through pretty much everything I could find on the internet about the new Spinosaurus (especially the study that Carnosaur posted) I must say that this new version could actually be almost correct, I still do not agree with the regular quadrupedal stance and the extreme short-ness of it's legs, but otherwise it seems more and more realistic to me.

I agree with some things stated here.

I believe that Spinosaurus was mainly a fish hunter, but as any opportunistic predator, it wouldn't mind other prey too if it had the chance to get it!

I however see the possibility of a quadrupedal Spinosaurus pretty plausible. You have to remember the new reconstruction isn't based off of fantasy, but is supported with the available fossil remains (that aren't many either way).

Those remains point out at pretty short legs for a theropod standard, suggesting that Spinosaurus was, in fact, a quadruped, its short legs not being able to fully support all that meat.

Still, I do not exclude the stance of an occasional bipedal locomotion.

Finally, I agree with a mix of your points combined to a new reconstruction, that make Spinosaurus go higher in my list of favorite dinosaurs.

All this new statemens made with the recent, new recostruction point towards a far more adaptable predator that we could imagine, making Spinosaurus very special in my eyes.

^ I don't believe that Spino wasn't fully a quadruped (let me go edit that). It probably walked on all fours in shallow water, sandy shores, and other soft places where there was no possibility of damaging its claws. On dry, hard land, like a forest, it would probably walk bipedally, to not risk claw damage.

(Also, did you like my addition of the PK Spino? :3)

There is no reason a Spinosaurus could have damaged its claws walking on all 4s. The wirst articulation allowed it to walk on its knuckles, without the claws even touching the ground. This is what I mean: 

As you can see, its left hand is touching the ground by the knockles, that could in some way sustain the weight of the first half of Spinosaurus' body.

Also thank you for including the PK Spino! :)

You mean knuckle walking like a gorilla?

Yes, but having the wrist rotation like any theropod, with the hand facing each other, rather than facing the body like in a Gorilla.

"The Spinosaurus, as a reptile, probably didn't have the right muscles or joints to allow such movement. Now, we know about its long tail, used for swimming, could have a lot of weight in it, to support the creature. Hwever, Spino would probably walk quadrupedally when it had the chance, such as in shallow water, sandy shores, and other soft places, to avoid claw damage."

So basically this is the only thing I don't agree with (which is okay).

There is no reason its hands structure wouldn't allow such a motion capability, as that degree of finger rotation is supported in almost every theropod's anatomy. This also supplies for strong muscles in the arms, that would also have been convenient for hunt or in case of defence.

So I'm not stating Spinosaurus was FULLY quadrupedal. The new evidences just suggest it walked like that most of its time, but it could still require on bipedal walking for short amounts of time.

^Yes. I don't realyl believe Spino spent too much time on all fours, but that doesn't say it was 100% bipedal. Still, I don't think leg or arm fossils were found, and I heard the Nat Geo specimen is fake.

i think the only way to know is to wait and see.