cyrus11 Posted January 13, 2006 #1 Share Posted January 13, 2006 why do they have such large long tails? doesn't such tail make them less maneuverable, especially in wooded areas where turning would be imp***ible? also, if a predator is chasing you, the tail would be a major drawback because the predator just has to grab a hold of your tail and you cannot get away anymore. someone please explain the purpose of such a tail and how it would benefit the survival of an organism like a dinosaur Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurnSide Posted January 13, 2006 #2 Share Posted January 13, 2006 (edited) Balance and buoyance. The same reason animals today have tails. Just large animals such as dinosaurs needed equally massive tails to balance themselves out otherwise they'd fall over face first all the time. Edited January 13, 2006 by BurnSide Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyrus11 Posted January 13, 2006 Author #3 Share Posted January 13, 2006 then why doesn't ostrich have a long tail? why couldn't dinosaur simply evolve to a form that change their center of gravity so that they do not need such long tails? think about it.. such tail actually hinders an animal than help it.. trying to chase an ostrich and it's saurian counterpart, you'd catch the dinosaur first because the tail is so long you'd reach and grab it before it can get away... while the ostrich has no tail and it puts distance away from the predators Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelekiah Posted January 13, 2006 #4 Share Posted January 13, 2006 An ostrich isn't as "horizontal". And dinos are extinct. Perhaps they would have evolved but all we can do at this point is speculate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogfish Posted January 13, 2006 #5 Share Posted January 13, 2006 I'm here to help! Dinosaurs have long tails for BALANCE. Raptors tails are stiff, if you ever noticed, so that they can achieve fast speeds without losing balance. Same goes for all other theropods, which have semi-stiff tails. Sauropods use tails for balance too. Their tails need to be extremely lon to help balance them. It would be impossible for a sauropod to manuever with a stiff tail. Plus, they have A LOT of vertebrae in the tails. Sauropods tails can also be used as whips (i.e. Diploducus) and sauropods, such as Shunosaurus, Omeisaurus and possibly Mamenchisaurus have tail clubs. Anklosaurs have clubs on their tails to protect them, while stegosaurs have spikes. Yes, a predator can grab a hold of the tail, but that won't kill them...Pick one, lose a fott of your tail, or not being able o keep balance, and fall while being chased by a Giganotosaurus.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tillghast Posted January 17, 2006 #6 Share Posted January 17, 2006 Thats basically what Burnside said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zandore Posted January 17, 2006 #7 Share Posted January 17, 2006 ... while the ostrich has no tail and it puts distance away from the predators Wrong To show dominance, an ostrich holds its head up high and lifts its wings and tail feathers; to show submission, the head, wings, and tail droop down. Source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogfish Posted January 17, 2006 #8 Share Posted January 17, 2006 sincw when do birds not have tails? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sofia Alexandra Posted January 21, 2006 #9 Share Posted January 21, 2006 Birds have tail feathers, not actual tails. And as to why dinosaurs had tails, it depends on what kind of dinosaur you're talking about. Some examples: Diplodocus. A big, massive body with a long neck and a long tail. Remove the tail, and it will fall foward. Remove the neck, and it will fall on its butt. Remove both the neck and the tail, and it won't have anything to defend itself with, as it uses its tail as a whip. And considering the sizes of the predators, defence is crucial. Deinonychus. Uses its tail to keep the balance while running, much like a cheeta. Tyrannosaurus Rex: Would fall on its face if it didn't have a tail. Iguanodon. Spent a lot of time walking on four legs, but the front legs would break if the tail hadn't been taking some weight off them. Comparing dinosaurs to birds doesn't really work, because most dinosaurs are much larger and a helluva lot more massive. Small dinosaurs, such as the compsognathus, are easier. They have a tail to keep balance when they're running around, just like the road runner has long stiff tail feathers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogfish Posted January 21, 2006 #10 Share Posted January 21, 2006 Birds do have rudimentary tails.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zandore Posted January 21, 2006 #11 Share Posted January 21, 2006 Birds have tail feathers, not actual tails.Sorry Sofia A bird's tail consists of a tailbone, a set of flight feathers, and a layer of covering feathers at the base of the tail. The tailbone is a group of six fused vertebrae called the pygostyle, which supports the tail feathers. Rump muscles control both the pygostyle and the tail feathers. Source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogfish Posted January 21, 2006 #12 Share Posted January 21, 2006 Exactly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sofia Alexandra Posted January 21, 2006 #13 Share Posted January 21, 2006 When I say tail I mean as the kind of tail you see on for example a dinosaur, a mouse or a lizard. Yes, birds have rudimentary tails, but they're just little stumps that you don't see because they're covered in feathers. And even if you remove the feathers it's not that much of a tail. Pic source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaKong Posted January 22, 2006 #14 Share Posted January 22, 2006 Eww poor birdy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incubus420 Posted January 22, 2006 #15 Share Posted January 22, 2006 (edited) You're all wrong. The only single reason why dinosaurs had tails is so that once they would die and we'd dig them up we could wonder why they had tails. just playin. Edited January 22, 2006 by Incubus420 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaKong Posted January 22, 2006 #16 Share Posted January 22, 2006 And that very well be true.... Damn for peanut-sized brains they were pretty ingenious =p.... Dig that! *wink* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AutumnDragon Posted January 22, 2006 #17 Share Posted January 22, 2006 for balance duh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogfish Posted January 22, 2006 #18 Share Posted January 22, 2006 A tail is a tail... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zandore Posted January 22, 2006 #19 Share Posted January 22, 2006 A tail is a tail... And what a whale of a tail it was......... It's all good Sofia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogfish Posted January 22, 2006 #20 Share Posted January 22, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zxkvl Posted May 8, 2014 #21 Share Posted May 8, 2014 But why do Rhinos have short tails? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theotherguy Posted May 8, 2014 #22 Share Posted May 8, 2014 It's all about the butt decoration. Without tails, backs get pretty boring. They probably dyed them different colors, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taun Posted May 8, 2014 #23 Share Posted May 8, 2014 Dinos had such huge tails because they used them to swat bugs away... and bugs were BIG back then.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toast Posted May 8, 2014 #24 Share Posted May 8, 2014 But why do Rhinos have short tails? Because of lower health insurance rates. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PersonFromPorlock Posted May 9, 2014 #25 Share Posted May 9, 2014 First dinos are about 240 MYA, last ones 65MYA. 175 million years is a long tale indeed, although this post is starting to rival it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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