17 replies to this topic

[Ashley-Star*Child]

Yes, several species of dinosaur, it has been speculated upon the discovery of a sauropod and theropod chase into a river leaving footrpints, moved like mammals (the examples were elephants and a lion) and not reptiles. Reptiles never step on their own footprints, but mammals, with a different leg movement do, just as these tracks show. The actual remains of the dinosaurs in question are a mystery in of themselves as the tracks stop midway into the river, and yet the remains have all but disappeared (though one speculated that if he dug out the river he'd 'surely find a dead sauropod'). This was on Discovery Science, Paleoworld btw, showing a little paleontologist dispute. I go for the mammal footed tracks.

[draconic chronicler]

Birds, dinosaurs and crocodiles all move differently than "reptiles".  They are all archosaurs, and even crocs are more closely related to birds than they are to lizards.   This really illustrates how flawed the current classification system is.

[Ashley-Star*Child]

The current discussion had nothing to do with birds, and Crocodiles, I hate to break this to you, ARE reptiles. And, the reptile they compared with that they DIDN'T resemble was a Crocodile. Like I said, their tracks resembled th movement of mammals.

[DemonWatcher]

actually even zoologists do not consider crocadiles as reptiles, they belong to a different group, you are thinking more like alligator, but even then they aren't considered as such except by the general public.

[draconic chronicler]

You almost got it right DW, but actually Alligators and Crocodiles are both crocodilians..  It is true though, that scientists recognize they are much closer related to birds and dinosaurs than any of the living reptiles.

It is revelant to the discussion Ashley, because dinosaurs AND crocodilians are both archosaurs, and both move more like mammals than they do like lizards.  Crocs don't like to use energy unnecesarily, and often just sprawl walk like a lizard, but can also do their "high walk", and walk much like a mammal, or their dinosaur cousins.

[DemonWatcher]

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You almost got it right DW, but actually Alligators and Crocodiles are both crocodilians..  It is true though, that scientists recognize they are much closer related to birds and dinosaurs than any of the living reptiles.

It is revelant to the discussion Ashley, because dinosaurs AND crocodilians are both archosaurs, and both move more like mammals than they do like lizards.  Crocs don't like to use energy unnecesarily, and often just sprawl walk like a lizard, but can also do their "high walk", and walk much like a mammal, or their dinosaur cousins.

thankees, and on that last note just watch animal planet, especially the croc specials, they show them from time to time when they run.

[Ashley-Star*Child]

Ok, fair enough, but the point was, it moved neither like a repltile OR a crocodile as a crocodile steps on it's own tracks, and these dinoasaurs did not, just like a true mammal the comparison being a tiger and elephant chase.

[draconic chronicler]

I still don't understand what point is trying to be made.  Even if they had a similar gait, no scientist would ever say that dinosurs are more closely related to mammals than they are to crocodilians.  The idea is ludicrous, for both crocs and dinos are archosaurs.  That would be like saying man is more closely related to anteaters than he is to chimpanzees!

[Raistlin Majere]

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I still don't understand what point is trying to be made.  Even if they had a similar gait, no scientist would ever say that dinosurs are more closely related to mammals than they are to crocodilians.  The idea is ludicrous, for both crocs and dinos are archosaurs.  That would be like saying man is more closely related to anteaters than he is to chimpanzees!

Claims employing less sense have been stated by a few people in this section. Erm...I'm not talking about etvisitor.


I don't understand how an animal's strides can suggest anything like a different classification. I mean, it might not be common amongst reptiles, mammals, or whatever, but I don't think there's scientific law stating that "ALL REPTILES MUST WALK LIKE THIS!" or anything of the like.

Am I missing something?

[frogfish]

That is absurd....gait cannot provide what family a species is

[Solofront]

"Crocodilians are the worlds largest and perhaps most exciting reptiles. They are also great survivors and their prehistoric ancestors, the Archosaurs, date back over 240 million years to the Triassic period."

http://www.proserpineecotours.com.au/crocs.htm

It's cool that their are 23 species of crocodilians.

Edited by Solofront, 25 October 2005 - 01:50 PM.

[frogfish]

sorry, but when did this thread turn ino a croc thread...

[Ashley-Star*Child]

Who said anything about reclassification? And for the last time, the point being made is that their gait was NOT that of a reptile from given footprints. That INCLUDES crocodiles. Crocodiles are reptiles. And like I've said on here, the reptile it was compared with which it did NOT resemble was a crocodile. All clear now?

[draconic chronicler]

No, nothing you said on this thread is apparently making sense to anyone.  Dinos and crocs are very, very, closely related, and serious scientists use crocodilians to learn more about dinosaurs.  Mammals, as well as all archosaurs (including both crocodiles and dinosaurs) "walk" in a more efficient manner than lizards or salamanders, but have yet to comprehend what point was trying to be made by this insightful observation.  If it was to mean, dinos and mammals are closely related because of the way they walk, then no.    Crocodilians are far more closely related to Dinos than mammals ever were.   One can also say that the "lizard hipped" dinos walked "differently" than the "bird hipped" dinos, but this should be rather obvious.

Edited by draconic chronicler, 03 November 2005 - 02:23 PM.

[Atlantis Rises]

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Birds, dinosaurs and crocodiles all move differently than "reptiles".  They are all archosaurs, and even crocs are more closely related to birds than they are to lizards.   This really illustrates how flawed the current classification system is.

Are you nuts? Crocs have more relation to birds than lizards? Who's been feeding you 411?

It's true that certain mammals travel differently that certain other animals, but the majority of animals move in a similiar fashion. Some bounce, some slide, some slither, some walk upright, some walk on all fours. However, the acting priniciple is there for their to be a link between all animals no matter what the species. You just have to see a connection.