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Paleontology (Dinosaurs)/Questions Answered by Expert David Prus

Subject	Date Asked
Smilodon Fatalis	2/4/2012
Q: I just have a simple question in regards to Smilodon Fatalis- amazingly I cannot find a single ... A: Good question. You see, Smilodon is a machairodont of the felid family, basically all true cats. ...
dinosaure bones	11/27/2011
Q: if a dinosaur bone is found on a person's home property, can the government force the residence off ... A: Very good question. I don't think paleontology supersedes property rights in most countries. I know ...
dinosaurmovies	10/28/2011
Q: hy- as a viewer of such flims and documentaries over the years-it became noticable that after ... A: I would certainly say other dinosaurs deserve more time. While Tyrannosaurus is certainly a ...
Question	10/26/2011
Q: I have always wanted to be a paleontologist. I have been interested in the topic since third grade; ... A: That's a very good question. I've asked it myself. Paleontology maps patterns of evolution, and ...
dinosaur fight	10/15/2011
Q: first one this is a simirlar qestion to the giganotosaurus vs spinosaurus. who would win in a fight ... A: 1. Each dinosaur's jaws are large and powerful enough to kill or mortally wound in a single bite, ...
deinosuchus	9/25/2011
Q: hy-i was checking many sources about deinosuchus and even though its size was revised about 10yrs ... A: Very good question. There's no information I can find on it. I looked for it when I went to the AMNH ...
Whales blowholes	8/15/2011
Q: Whale blowholes compared to the nasal orifices in their skulls: No one in the world has even tried ... A: This isn't quite my area, but that's a very good question. There is no particular nostril opening ...
identify my fossil	7/3/2011
Q: Is there someone I can contact to help me to identify a fossil I found? It appears to be a bird head ... A: With no photos, I'm afraid I can't identify it myself. However, I'm sure there is someone in the ...
hipo vs tyrannosaurus	6/19/2011
Q: oh and witch dinosaur wood win spinosaurus or giganotosaurs in a fight ? A: Hippos are very dangerous, but they don't have the size and reach of a Tyrannosaurus. Furthermore, ...
Interpreting Smilodon populator's weight.	6/9/2011
Q: I would like to present my understanding of current scientific data and estimates on the subject and ... A: I'm truly impressed with your calculations. I'm afraid I've found no data on whether S. populator ...
dinosaurskulls	6/6/2011
Q: hy-i want to ask what tyrannosaurus specimen has the 2nd and 3rd largest skull after mor008-which is ... A: Most of these skulls have not been rigorously studied, and while it's possible that these mysterious ...
Fossil skeleton	6/6/2011
Q: This is the 2nd photo... of the head A: My best guess is that it is a specimen of Teleosaurus. While I'm not very good with judging the ...
dinos	6/1/2011
Q: I have heard of the R Rex and the Velociraptor, but what is the difference between these two meat ... A: Okay, in that case I will repeat what I said in my last post. The Tyrannosaurus rex was a very ...
dinos	5/26/2011
Q: I have heard of the R Rex and the Velociraptor, but what is the difference between these two meat ... A: R rex? I'm afraid I haven't heard of that dinosaur before. The Tyrannosaurus rex was a very ...
Size	5/20/2011
Q: I was just wondering, why is there such a huge size different between dinosaurs and today's animals? ... A: I have answered this question before, and it's a good question with no single answer. " Well, part ...
hadrosaurs	5/17/2011
Q: hy-is thespesius really edmontosaurus ? it is a old name only seen in older dinosaur books and seems ... A: Yep. Thespesius, like Trachodon, has been subsumed into Edmontosaurus. Shantungosaurus is a ...
britishmuseumlondon	5/3/2011
Q: hy-in the former british museum of natural history-the triceratops display there is quite ... A: Excellent question. Believe it or not, Marsh and Cope thought dinosaurs were rather sprightly ...
extinciton	5/3/2011
Q: What is your opinion on extinction? Where do you work and what do you do? How much money is being ... A: Extinction is a necessary event in evolution, but humans have tipped the balance to an unnatural ...
dinosaurskulls	4/27/2011
Q: hy- 1 of the most interesting topics of dinosaurs is the recent triceratops skull study-are the ... A: The study of Triceratops skulls is still done by various paleontologists today. I'm afraid I don't ...
cat dinosaur	4/25/2011
Q: I was wondering if you know of any dinosaur that looked like a cat and acted cat like. A: Well, that's an interesting questions. The smallest dinosaurs were theropods, which were feathered ...
peteinosaurus	3/27/2011
Q: hi i was just wondering how big the peteinosaurus was not just its wing span but like its body size ... A: It's hard to tell. The specimens are fragmentary. So far it's been estimated to have a 20cm tail, 60 ...
dinosaurbooks	3/22/2011
Q: hy-i will ask which dinosaur books have large illustrations of old vintage style dinosaurs- you can ... A: Well, my favorite of the vintage books is the Album of Dinosaurs by Tim McGowen and Rod Ruth. ...
Question	3/1/2011
Q: I found out from the guy who named Brontomerus that you do not need to go out on digs to make ... A: Become an employee, of course. I personally plan to join my local museum. I suggest taking classes ...
smilodon populator	2/28/2011
Q: I was wondering if you could answer a few questions about my favorite animal smilodon populator. 1) ... A: 1) Hmmm, possibly a brown bear, a therapsid, or a gracile, 15-20 foot dinosaur like Dilophosaurus. ...
REALLY BIG Dinosaur Egg???	2/21/2011
Q: I have this large egg shaped rock...By my photos i sent you is there anyway you could tell if it's a ... A: I'm not sure if it's an egg or even a fossil, but it's certainly interesting. I'm not a geologist, ...
Ecosystems to recreate extinct Pleistoncene Fauna	2/5/2011
Q: Should we consider reestablishing ecosystems--and attempt to recreate extinct Pleistocene fauna such ... A: While it's a great scientific experiment, I think it would be better if scientists tried to preserve ...
megalodon	1/30/2011
Q: hy-as its known most megalodon teeth are 5-7 inches but more recenlty i have heard of estimates that ... A: The largest are reported to be just over 7 inches. That suggests an individual about 20m in length. ...
dinosaurspecies	1/16/2011
Q: hy-if you read the new dinosaur book by gregory s paul called dinosaurs a field guide is a new book ... A: All these taxonomic judgments, with the possible exception of Hadrosaurus and the great Iguanodon ...
What Killed the Dinosaurs?	1/3/2011
Q: What are some of the theories about the extinction of the dinosaurs? Which appear to be the most ... A: There a many theories, but here are the most popular 1. Climate change. The most specific mechanism ...
Ankylosaurus armor	1/1/2011
Q: How thick was the armor of the Ankylosaurus? Would it be fair to say that most bullets would not ... A: That's a very good question. One clue on the structure is here ...
dinosaurs2	12/12/2010
Q: already known are the top 3 large meat eaters-tyrannosaurus-giganotosaurus -spinosaurus- but which ... A: Well, Spinosaurus is the largest of the three, followed by Giganotosaurus, followed by ...
Question about T.rex	12/11/2010
Q: can T-rex skulls surpassing 7 feet and beyond because I don't believe the largest T-rex skulls are ... A: I'm sure 5 feet isn't an absolute limit, but the largest skulls (at the Museum of the Rockies and ...
dinosaurfinds	12/7/2010
Q: hy-having read that atlantosaurus is apatosaurus -i site stated a large femur about 8ft that isnt ... A: CM 33994 is definitely Apatosaurus, and it's about the same size as the giant "Atlantosaurus" femur. ...
largerdinosaurs	11/22/2010
Q: hy-as a follow up question about apatosaurus specimens - some online and libary sources state that ... A: I'm afraid I don't know the dimensions of all the Apatosaurus specimens, but the size ranges from ...
apatosaurus	11/14/2010
Q: hy-since you appeared to have visited many american museum with dinosaur displays can you state ... A: Sorry I'm late. According to some sources, the Carnegie specimen at 72 feet is larger than either ...
Social Studies	10/25/2010
Q: Describe how the australopithecine adapted to its environment A: Good question The Australopithecus had several good adaptations -stereoscopic vision and depth ...
apatosaurus	10/16/2010
Q: then wat about the AMMNH apatosaurus and field musuem -are these sub adults as well? this is very ... A: The Apatosaurus at the Peabody Museum appears to be either a mature adult or just close enough to ...
museums	9/13/2010
Q: you can check online pictures if needed -but many major museums have updated there dinosaur ... A: Sorry I took so long to respond. I prefer that dinosaurs be placed in chronological order over ...
Hello	9/13/2010
Q: I saw you like questions about prehistoric animals. Maybe this is a strange question but can you ... A: Sorry I took so long in answering, John. All the dinosaurs mentioned are more than a match for any ...
kronosaurus	8/25/2010
Q: there is a unknown 9ft pliosaur skull in oxford museum-it has a name but there isnt much information ... A: 1. The Dorset and Svalbard pliosaurs are probably the same family as Kronosaurus and Liopleurodon. ...
Spinosaurus claws	8/18/2010
Q: I would like to know if Spinosaurus could have used his large claws as a weapon against another ... A: I don't think so. The Spinosaurus probably used sheer size, inflated by its spines, to intimidate ...
garlic and ginger fossil	8/11/2010
Q: hye..my questions are: 1) does garlic and ginger can be a fossil? 2) have anyone made garlic fossil ... A: 1. Garlic and ginger, in their wild forms, are like any other plant and can be fossils. 2. While I ...
torosaurus	8/6/2010
Q: also i though they have so many triceratops skulls of many ages from sub adults to large adults- ... A: The Torosaurus-Triceratops theory is patently ludicrous. There is nothing suggesting such a drastic ...
Rapetosaurus	7/25/2010
Q: What was the total height of the Rapetosaurus and what were all it's predators? A: Rapetosaurus was probably around 15 to 20 feet high. The largest predator in the area was ...
hi	7/2/2010
Q: ok so first could you tell me the difference between archaeology and paleontology, secondly could ... A: Well, the main difference between archeology and paleontology is the subject. Archaeology studies ...
Why dinosaurs are so big?	6/17/2010
Q: Have you ever read why dinosaurs grew into such large animals?. I read that their ancestors were ... A: This is a common and logical question. In fact, another David asked me that question last year. ...
Phorusrhacos	6/16/2010
Q: I was wanting to know what Phorusrhacos' name meant? Because i've seen initially three different ... A: Good question. I believe the proper spelling is PhorusrhacOs. Phorus apparently means "bearer" or ...
torvosaurus	6/10/2010
Q: would allosaurus have weaker bite than torvosaurus? i read online that a large crocidle even bigger ... A: I'm afraid I don't know what the largest Allosaurus skull is, but I would check the American Museum ...
torvosaurus	5/14/2010
Q: What is a good estimate for torvosaurus's weight. Also could the average torvosaurus beat the ... A: Torvosaurus was about the size and weight of an Allosaurus, at about 2-3 tons. In a fight, it's ...
Miscellaneous questions	4/21/2010
Q: As I was searching data about the giant warthog (Metridiochoerus sp.) I stumbled upon this ... A: Very good question. First, according to Alan Turner and Mauricio Anton (Evolving Eden), ...
Hypothetical Megatherium Daeodon interaction	4/20/2010
Q: Firstly I want to apologize for my poor grammar but English isn't my native language. I have ... A: Very good question. First, if they met, I would say the Megatherium would either scare away the ...
Meridian mammoth	4/13/2010
Q: I'm researching the Meridian mammoth and can't find anything online. What resources would you ... A: A quick Google search reveals: ...
Possible Tyrannosaur hunting strategy	4/11/2010
Q: Would a fleeing hadrosaur have lost its balance and fallen if a t-rex had grabbed its tail? ... A: Interesting theory. It is supported by healed tail vertebrae on an Edmontosaurus showing that a ...
who would win?	4/10/2010
Q: i have seen lots of comments on youtube saying "t-rex is the king of carnivorous dinosaurs" but ... A: Well, I'd say most of the time whoever got the first bite in would win. Each of the dinosaurs had a ...
musth	4/3/2010
Q: Do you think male dwarf elephants also went on musth, like modern day elephants> What about mammoths ... A: Very good question. I've considered the possibility myself. Battle injuries in both mammoths and ...
Baryonyx Walkeri	3/7/2010
Q: I have done a lot of research on the Baryonyx Walkeri. I have every thing I need except how the age ... A: The first specimen was found in a clay pit in England. The clay in the area has been determined to ...
archaeopteryx	3/7/2010
Q: what does the animal archaeopteryx eat. How was it specialized or adapted for getting its food.What ... A: Good question. Archaeopteryx has small, narrow, pointed teeth, so it was probably eating small ...
birds and dinosaurs	3/3/2010
Q: i'm writing a paper about dinosaurs and how birds are descended from them, and our teacher requires ... A: Well, a meteor impact destroyed the ecosystem, and put pressure on all species. The dinosaurs, being ...
Dinosaur Sounds	3/1/2010
Q: I've noticed in the movies that film-makers use a variety of animal noises to depict the sounds ... A: Very good question. Vocal chords are impossible to fossilize, so the best way to guess is to ...
dinos	2/24/2010
Q: this would make sense when attacking sauropods but what if an allosaurid attacked an ornithopd the ... A: Good question. A neck bite would be the most efficient. With the exception of Neovenator (a predator ...
dinosaur bones	2/23/2010
Q: i cannot find his age online -he is in some dinosaur and paleontological documentaries throughout ... A: I don't know his age, but you can ask him yourself :) mike.benton@bris.ac.uk Giant hadrosaur leg ...
Paleontology Jobs	2/20/2010
Q: my name is Nik and i love dinosaurs ever since i was like 3 and by 5 my mom told me that i should be ... A: Well, it depends on what you want to do. If you want to work in the labs or museums, you won't have ...
Fossil/petrification	2/13/2010
Q: what's the difference between fossilization and petrification (if there is)and i read in a very old ... A: Very good question. The difference is that petrification is a kind of fossilization, but petrified ...
Paleontology	2/3/2010
Q: I was wondering what I should study in high-school to prepare for going to college and becoming a ... A: Well, basic knowledge of statistics helps, and so does paper-writing. Most scientists publish a ...
Why are some of the dinosaurs so big?	1/30/2010
Q: Why are some of the dinosaurs so big? I know it helps them retain energy longer, have less ... A: Well, part of it is that mammals have higher metabolisms, meaning that it would take more resources ...
museums	1/24/2010
Q: the allosaurs speciemn in the berlin museum seems large-30ft maybe-can you tell me how long it is ... A: France, England, and Germany? There's a great list here: ...
Largest Theropods	1/15/2010
Q: Can you tell me the 10 biggest theropods? (with wheight and lenght) Thanks, Luís A: According to Wikipedia, the top ten biggest theropods are as follows: Spinosaurus-60 feet, 9 tons ...
allosaurs	1/15/2010
Q: the ammnh has 2 allosaurus displays-are they the same specimens? i am not sure if you have the ... A: On average, Allosaurus measured about two meters at the hip The specimen in the Roosevelt Rotunda ...
something seems fake	1/8/2010
Q: I'm probably going to come off alittle flaky. To unearthen dinosaurs... actually dig them up out of ... A: Well, the problem is that the Earth's ecosystems have changed so much, and mammals have invaded ...
carnegie museum	1/7/2010
Q: these are very difficult to find and only few small photos are all that seem to be onlineof the ... A: Well, I've found some websites with photos before the last ...
dinosaur videos	1/6/2010
Q: second -if you have seen the many dinosaur museums models -schleich-bullyland and safari-then can ... A: I can't think of any in particular, but eventually, if you watch enough documentaries (When ...
dinos	12/26/2009
Q: hunting technique,prey items of kaprosuchus. Can you tell me the ecosystem that this animal lived ... A: Being the same size as a modern saltwater croc, Kaprosuchus probably was around 2,000 lbs with a ...
weight and bite force prehist.animals	12/12/2009
Q: you is one good expert . Please, I can have one idea of weight and of the bite force of animals: ... A: Triceratops: 10 tons, unknown bite force, but probably very high Utahraptor: 1500 lbs, unknown bite ...
Misrepresentation of Dinosaurs	12/6/2009
Q: I really enjoyed your answer to the question of whether dinosaurs roared. I wanted to ask a little ... A: Dinosaur behavior can be reconstructed using a variety of approaches. First, there is mechanical ...
Why so big?	11/27/2009
Q: Why did dinosaurs develop into such big animals when they existed? A: Three main reasons: First is the size of the stomach needed to process food. The teeth of sauropods, ...
Biggest Prehistoric Parrots??	10/30/2009
Q: Which is the biggest parrot to go extinct(either historically or prehistorically)?? Thank you. A: Extinct parrots are very hard to classify and describe, so little is known about them The largest ...
torosaurus	10/24/2009
Q: what would your views on this be if you no of this information? generally speeking i have seen the ... A: The scientific community is rightly skeptical about the Torosaurus=Triceratops idea. They're very ...
biology	10/21/2009
Q: i need help making a cladogram using slugs catfish frog tiger and a human. i have to tell if ... A: This is more of a biology question, but it's fairly simple Slugs-cells Catfish-cells, backbone ...
videos	10/18/2009
Q: these do exist but are rare and they would show the displays in a musuem or exhibition. if you know ... A: I'm afraid I don't know of any such videos. I have only seen displays in assorted documentaries ...
bite force	10/10/2009
Q: please ,what is the bite force: marsupial lion ; triceratops ; lion panthera atrox ; bears ... A: Thylacoleo-2101 Newtons Triceratops-Unknown, but likely to be very high American Lion-Between 1000 ...
oldest horse?	9/13/2009
Q: What is the oldest ancestor of horses? A: Well, it depends on you definition. The Oldest member of the genus Equus is E. stenonis from Italy, ...
Dinosaur habitat	9/7/2009
Q: I am fascinated in paleontology and particularly in how prehistoric animals could cope in the modern ... A: Some of the dinosaurs could have. The small ornithopods and theropods in the Cretaceous period were ...
Largest therapsid	8/30/2009
Q: What is the largest therapsid ever? A: I've been asked this question before, and it's a good one, considering how little the public is ...
oldest duck?	8/20/2009
Q: What is the oldest ancestor of ducks? A: The earliest Anatid (true duck) is Eonessa from the Eocene of the Western United States. The ...
Evolution	8/15/2009
Q: Is there any reasons that proove evolution is there any reasons that disproove evolution also i was ... A: Evidence for : http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/comdesc/ Evidence against: ...
Dinosaurs	8/11/2009
Q: David i wish you are fine,I want to ask you something important about dinosaurs.what is the main ... A: Nadia It's very hard to tell what exactly caused the dinosaurs' extinction. It was probably a ...
largest	8/10/2009
Q: hy-how long is the largest and longest dinosaur eggs? i did find some photos online that state the ... A: The largest dinosaur eggs were of Chinese titanosaurs, about a foot in length. The "1 metre" ...
birds vs people	8/8/2009
Q: I have a basic understanding of the theory of evolution but there is one question I can not seem to ... A: Good question. I think part of it is the fact that birds specialized their arms (in addition to ...
Dinosaurs and Ratites	8/4/2009
Q: My query concerns perceived versus true taxonomic differences and whether distinction between two ... A: Good question. Often there's quite a bit of overlap, and derived characteristics may obscure ...
Modern Relatives	7/25/2009
Q: 1)Do you have information on the closest living relatives of the following prehistoric animals?? ... A: 1) Panthera atrox's relative is the Gir Forest Lion Ursus Spelaeus' relative is the Eurasian Brown ...
Keeled sternum in pterosaurs?	7/23/2009
Q: Hope you don't mind me pestering you with another question! This time it's pterosaurs. I have only ... A: Every scientific paper I've ever read reports carinae on pterosaur sternums. I don't understand ...
Weight of Dinosaurs	7/22/2009
Q: David Prus Can you tell me the weight of these following dinosaurs and marine reptiles that I can't ... A: 1. The problem with Tyrannosaurus weight is that it has changed again and again. It was probably ...
Feeding Behavior	7/22/2009
Q: 1)Can you tell me the feeding technique of the following animals?? Borhyena Helicoprion Anomalocaris ... A: 1. Borhyena was an ambush predator, killing with its large canines and feeding with the thick, ...
Question	7/21/2009
Q: Did Amphicoelias really grow to 200 feet in length? A: Not exactly. More like 150 feet based on a reassessment recently. It's hard to tell, considering all ...
Largest organisms	7/19/2009
Q: 1)Can you tell me the differences between Tremarctinae bears and other sub-families of bears?? 2)Can ... A: 1. Tremarctine bears are an American branch of the bear family, with shorter muzzles, wide molars ...
Fossils	7/16/2009
Q: i know imust be getting annoying asking so many questions 1) i live in Aberdeen (scotland) and i ... A: Well, there's a lot of places for Carboniferous and Jurassic marine fossils. Here's some sites on ...
Ammonite	7/16/2009
Q: i recently got a pyritized ammonite whihc isin a rock the question is how doi polish it because it ... A: 'Fraid not. Most radiometric methods require specialized machines like mass spectrometers. You'd ...
Ammonite	7/16/2009
Q: i recently got a pyritized ammonite whihc isin a rock the question is how doi polish it because it ... A: First, try to find out where it came from and how old the rock was. That should narrow it down. ...
Ammonite	7/16/2009
Q: i recently got a pyritized ammonite whihc isin a rock the question is how doi polish it because it ... A: It just means that pyrite was the mineral that "filled in" the fossil. This is rare, considering how ...
Weight of Dinosaurs	7/14/2009
Q: David Prus Can you tell me the weight of these following dinosaurs and marine reptiles that I can't ... A: 1. Brachiosaurus' weight was, according to Christiansen, overestimated in the past and was more ...
Thylacoleo	7/13/2009
Q: and thank you for your useful answers: If Thylacoleo encountered the following animals, which would ... A: Quinkana, Shansisuchus, Pristichampsus and Ornithosuchus seem too big and heavily armed and armored. ...
Questions	7/12/2009
Q: yeah a few uestiosn 1) how can a long snout of a spinosaurus make it a fish eater 2) what killed the ... A: Plenty. Here's some of the more interesting ones: Turtles: Archelon: Giant sea turtle Protostega: ...
Questions	7/12/2009
Q: yeah a few uestiosn 1) how can a long snout of a spinosaurus make it a fish eater 2) what killed the ... A: I might have answered this question before. My answer was: "As for others, there are ...
Questions	7/12/2009
Q: yeah a few uestiosn 1) how can a long snout of a spinosaurus make it a fish eater 2) what killed the ... A: 1) Three things make Spinosaurus a piscivore: The claws are long, hooked, and without a cutting ...
Primitive Dinosaurs	7/11/2009
Q: and thank you for your useful answers: 1)Can you put these dinosaurs from the most primitive to the ... A: 1) Dilophosaurus Ceratosaurus Kryptops Rugops Abelisaurus Proceratosaurus Ornitholestes Guanlong ...
A couple of questions	7/9/2009
Q: 1) how can scientists say that troodon was the smartest without having the brain or seeing how it ... A: 1) Intelligence often depends on the ratio of brain size to body size. Troodon has the largest brain ...
Crocodilians "cold-blooded" as a secondary adaptation?	7/9/2009
Q: Many thanks for your answer about Ornithosuchus, which makes things much clearer! I knew I had to ... A: Thing is, Erythrosuchids were basal but not ancestral to anything. They were ambush predators, but ...
Ornithosuchus as a swimming predator?	7/8/2009
Q: I'm delighted to have found this site as I have so many questions! I was reading AD Walker's classic ... A: Fascinating idea. There are a couple problems; the teeth are curved backwards and the head is short. ...
Amphicyon	7/7/2009
Q: 1)Which were the probable prey items for Amphicyon?? 2)Can you provide me a pic of the claws of ... A: 1)It was widespread across the Northern continents from the USA to China to India to Europe, so ...
Anteosaurus	7/6/2009
Q: and thank you for your resourcefulness. Who will win between Anteosaurus and these animals?? ... A: The Thylacines are smarter and quicker, but they lack the power to defeat an Anteosaur Moschops was ...
Diictodon/Dicynodon	7/5/2009
Q: Is a Diictodon a Dicynodon? I don't think so, but If they aren't the same creature then is the only ... A: Diictodon is a kind of dicynodont. Dicynodon and Diictodon are both dicynodonts. Diictodon are a ...
3 questions	7/5/2009
Q: (1) what subjects should i study to become a palentogist (2) how should i go about becoming a ... A: 1. Depends on the Institution (bigger=higher), credentials (more=higher), and the field (more ...
3 questions	7/5/2009
Q: (1) what subjects should i study to become a palentogist (2) how should i go about becoming a ... A: That's unlikely. While it may have been true for the larger species, there were still a lot of ...
3 questions	7/5/2009
Q: (1) what subjects should i study to become a palentogist (2) how should i go about becoming a ... A: 1) Geology, zoology (biology in general, actually), anatomy, some physics, some chemistry, and ...
who's closer to birds??	7/4/2009
Q: 1)Can you put these families of dinosaurs from the less bird-like to the most bird-like?? ... A: 1) Coelophysidae Abelisauridae Ceratosauridae Megalosauridae Spinosauridae Allosauridae ...
Allosaurus sp.	7/3/2009
Q: 1)How much did Allosaurus fragilis weighed?? 2)Which were the top 5 most powerful Asian theropods of ... A: 1) A. fragilis was between 700 and 1000 kg 2) Tarbosaurus, Shaochilong, Kelmayisaurus, Mifunesaurus, ...
Panthera atrox	7/2/2009
Q: What would happen if the American lion encountered these animals one on one: Daeodon Epycion ... A: Daeodon's just too big and powerful one-on-one The lion's too big and well-armed for Epicyon to ...
Megalania	7/1/2009
Q: 1)Who likely dominated over the other, Quinkana or Megalania?? 2)Who likely dominated over the ... A: 1. Hard to tell. Megalania was larger, and Quinkana had armor. I'd say the crocodile, since ...
Acrocanthosaurus	6/29/2009
Q: 1)Which dinosaur had the most powerful jaws for its size, and what structures made this jaws so ... A: 1. Hard to tell, but probably our old friend Tyrannosaurus (although hadrosaurs and ceratopsians ...
Eotitanosuchus	6/28/2009
Q: 1)If Eotitanosuchus was introduced in central India, what would happen?? 2)Can you describe me how ... A: 1) Not too bad. There's enough large game and the temperature is just enough for a large ...
Prehistoric Reptiles	6/27/2009
Q: 1)Can you tell what would happen if the following animals were introduced in these environments: ... A: Postosuchus-it would certainly suffer under the colder temperatures like a lion in Sweden. I can't ...
Therapsid	6/26/2009
Q: 1)Which was the biggest carnivorous therapsid ever?? how big was it?? which were the possible prey ... A: Big therapsids? Eotitanosuchus at 600 kg and twenty feet long. Fed on the giant amphibian Melosaurus ...
Rajasaurus	6/25/2009
Q: 2)Which dinosaurs were possible prey items for Rajasaurus and Tarascosaurus?? 3)Which were the apex ... A: 1. Rajasaurus had a proportionally larger head and slightly more heavily built than Carnotaurus with ...
Abelisaurids	6/24/2009
Q: i would like to ask you some questions: 1)Which dinosaurs where possible prey items for Carnotaurus? ... A: 1) Carnotaurus was the only dinosaur found in its strata, the La Colonia Formation in Argentina. ...
dinosaur	6/19/2009
Q: ..).I completely love dinosaurs and here are some questions: 1.Could Spinosaurs kill "the fearsome ... A: Well, Sam, I'm not a paleontologist but I can certainly help you. 1. Spinosaurus could probably ...
identification of the artists of these illustrations	6/19/2009
Q: I wonder who is the artist(s) of these illustration of prehistoric animals ... A: I have the first one in an old Time-Life book, but I have them all boxed up. Most websites don't ...
Conflicts	6/18/2009
Q: Question Hi David. I'd sent this question twice to Daniel, but I read that he is on a holiday. In ... A: In the case of the first 7 matchups, I would say that while your super allosaur would certainly ...
dinosaurskeletons	6/17/2009
Q: does any book with lots of dinosaur skeletons and technical data about each dinosaur exist? thanks A: I'm afraid that books on dinosaur skeletons are rare, as complete specimens are rare. Most good ...
dinos	6/13/2009
Q: are they faster and stronger? hypotheticaly if we put an utahraptor in an african savvana would he ... A: 10 Newtons per cm - 14 psi. Today's land predators are efficient considering their prey. Their ...
dinos	6/13/2009
Q: during that 2my period who would be the apex predator? i've noticed this in other occasions-( north ... A: Tyrannosaurus only remained in one species, and didn't show as much variation as, say, Triceratops ...
dinos	6/11/2009
Q: during that 2my period who would be the apex predator? i've noticed this in other occasions-( north ... A: Remember, fossils only show a fragment of geological history. They might have been contemporaries ...
dinos	6/11/2009
Q: what was his hunting method and were any other big predators in his habitat? why lampeosaurus ... A: The Komodo Dragon's bite force is about 40 N, and scaling it up and beefing it up for a large ...
dinos	6/10/2009
Q: what was his hunting method and were any other big predators in his habitat? why lampeosaurus ... A: Purussaurus ate anything it came on-large mammals, large fish, turtles, birds, carrion, other ...
dinos	6/10/2009
Q: if this event caused the mass extinction, how did it affect areas on the other side of the world ... A: Climatic change in one area of the world effects the rest. Look at the El Nino phenomenon-the ...
dinos	6/10/2009
Q: africa,asia,india 65 mya? 3)if dryptosaurus and appalachiosaurus were primitive tyrannosaurids why ... A: Actually, all the Mongolian dinosaurs manage to survive until the end of the Cretaceous. The Nemegt ...
dinos	6/10/2009
Q: africa,asia,india 65 mya? 3)if dryptosaurus and appalachiosaurus were primitive tyrannosaurids why ... A: 1) Good question. Much of North America was covered in the inland sea at the time, but there are ...
dinos	6/9/2009
Q: if they did who would be the apex predator? thanks A: Giganotosaurus-98 mya, Candeleros Formation Mapusaurus-96 mya, Huincul Formation Tyrannotitan-115 ...
dinos	6/9/2009
Q: prey primarly, titanosaurids with slashing bites,but how could this happen? they had relatively ... A: 1) Abeliosaurs did not use just their teeth in the attack with a simple bite. They probably used ...
triceratops	6/8/2009
Q: how many more parts have they got? can you tell me more information on the large triceratops bones ... A: That's pretty much it for Torosaurus-skulls, legs, hips, and parts of the vertebrae. It was a pretty ...
dinos	6/8/2009
Q: A: In their areas, there were mostly sauropods called Titanosaurs. Their contemporary ornithopods were ...
bite force	6/8/2009
Q: carcharodontosaurus and purrusaurus? thanks A: No one has calculated the bite force of Giganotosaurus yet to my knowledge, but considering it's a ...
dinosaursize	6/7/2009
Q: where can i find size and length for dinosaurs in general online-i require the size for differnet ... A: The site "Dinosauricon" used to be full of good stuff, but it looks like it's been abandoned. The ...
dinosaursize	6/4/2009
Q: i would ask if you know any site or link which shows the information -size speices type and museum ... A: Could you please clarify your first question? Do you mean dinosaurs in general or one specific genus ...
Mammoths	6/1/2009
Q: Mammoths were contemporary with humans; yet their remains are found deep in the permafrost. How did ... A: Based on fossil evidence and the behavior of modern elephants, it's likely that mammoths migrated ...
mini-raptor with soft tissue	5/31/2009
Q: I uncovered a fossil of a mini-raptor with soft tissue in my backyard. It looks to be almost all ... A: Robert. Again, it's hard to see fossils with an untrained eye like mine (my firs assumption was it ...
Questions about Dinosaurs	5/30/2009
Q: 1. If dinosaurs were alive today, would they eat people? 2. Which kind was the biggest dinosaur? ... A: 1. Yes and no. No doubt some of the larger carnivores would eat humans if given a chance ...
dinosaurs	5/28/2009
Q: allosaurus maximus is not known well but i read of partial skeletons and some other remains-which ... A: I think Allosaurus maximus has mounts and specimens at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and ...
Did dinosaurs really roar?	5/26/2009
Q: I've been watching a few movies with dinosaurs in it, and something hit on me, that has been bugging ... A: Good question. The best way we can infer what dinosaurs sounded like is trying to find out their ...
Whole Anatomy Fossilization	5/25/2009
Q: I've found many fossils in our yard and flowerbeds in Dallas. Some are wholly fossilized critters, ... A: While well-preserved lizards are not exactly big newsmakers, they are still valuable. One way is to ...
Saurapods	5/15/2009
Q: There was an animal unearthed called Bruhathkayosaurus and estimations were taken with an astounding ... A: The Seismosaurus, alas, proved to be just a big Diplodus. I have heard of the Bruhathkayosaurus but ...
prehistoric sea	5/14/2009
Q: I have a few questions about pre-historic life. on a series called walking with dinosaurs it took a ... A: There is no good evidence that Liopleurodon ever reached more than 40 feet in length. However, there ...
museums	3/29/2009
Q: asking this as the pictures of them dont look excatly the same. the north american museum ... A: I'm not sure. I've been wanting to go there for a while. On one hand, it is a cast, making it ...
Dinosaurs	3/23/2009
Q: What was the largest dinosaur and was it a carnivore or a herbavore or a omnivore? A: Well, the largest one which we have actual fragments of is Supersaurus vivianae, a Jurassic sauropod ...
Appearence of ancient animals	3/17/2009
Q: - My question is, when scientists create lifelike representations of extinct animals such as ... A: Good question. First, the size and shape are determined by the skeleton, based on the fossils of ...
microraptor	3/15/2009
Q: i once saw on dinosaur planet of discovery channel, i am confused whether it was a connection ... A: Microraptor was a dromeosaur ("raptor") that was completely covered in feathers, with especially ...
t-rex and spinosaurus size	3/12/2009
Q: i want to ask you that what was the actual height of the t-rex? some books it is written 6m, in ... A: Well, it depends on the posture. If the Tyrannosaurus reared up fully erect, it was about 6m high. ...
ankylosaurs	3/11/2009
Q: can you tell me more information on these ? ankylosaurus is partial skeleton -but what parts are ... A: The Giant ankylosaur-Dr. Ken Carpenter is a good reference, but his collection at ...
paleontology gcse	3/2/2009
Q: I am in a bit of a problem. i am just about to choose my year 10 options, but i am unsure about what ... A: I went through exactly what you're going through now, Jake. I suggest biological science if ...
Tusk?	1/24/2009
Q: I have what I think is a tusk and at first glance I thought was a Wooly Mammoth tusk but a closer ... A: The Twin Cities have a very good museum (or so I've heard), and they're probably used to mammoths ...
Tusk?	1/23/2009
Q: I have what I think is a tusk and at first glance I thought was a Wooly Mammoth tusk but a closer ... A: First, check the grain of the bone. It could be wood, but it's probably bone. It looks too long to ...
fossil	1/14/2009
Q: Found fossilized egg incased in mudstone,egg collapsed in on it self, but it shows what may be ... A: Sounds amazing. I suggest the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor; they have museum of paleontology ...
dinosaurs	1/12/2009
Q: It is said that birds evolved from dinosaurs. Has anybody noticed that the rear legs of dinosaurs ... A: Nope. That's not the knee you're looking at in birds, that's the ankle. If you looked at their legs ...
Loads of answers needed	12/29/2008
Q: ok many answers 1) you know how there was the periods like jurrasic wha period are we in? 2)other ... A: Sorry I'm late. It's hard to determine "closest to humans" considering that archosaurs and ...
Loads of answers needed	12/29/2008
Q: ok many answers 1) you know how there was the periods like jurrasic wha period are we in? 2)other ... A: My pleasure 5.) Dimetrodon and its relatives are synapsids, meaning they have one opening in the ...
Loads of answers needed	12/28/2008
Q: ok many answers 1) you know how there was the periods like jurrasic wha period are we in? 2)other ... A: 1.) We're in the Quaternary Period, in the Holocene epoch of that period. 2.) As for others, there ...
What dinosaur was closest to humans?	12/23/2008
Q: I'm wondering if you can tell me what dinosaur was closest related to humans today or even if humans ... A: I'm afraid the answer is none of the above. The split between reptiles and mammals occurred about ...
apatosaurus	12/3/2008
Q: carnegie musuem apatosaurus hip height and length- american museum of natural histrory-hip and ... A: I'm afraid I don't know the details about each specimen except for their species Carnegie-A. ...
dinosaurs	12/3/2008
Q: can u tell me the names of all the dinosaurs found in the tendaguru site ? as last as i know it ... A: Dryosaurus lettowvorbecki-small ornithopod Kentrosaurus aethopicus-spiny stegosaur Australodocus ...
discovery of dino skull in H.P. India	11/12/2008
Q: I found a dino skull 6 feet long with two horn like projections at the back, also a tail section 5 ... A: SIX FEET LONG?! Wow! Shame there's no paleontologists at HPU. Are you sure it's a dinosaur skull? ...
fossil tooth?	11/6/2008
Q: I have a tooth of somesort found on a beach in florida 10 yrs ago. I was curious as to what it might ... A: That's definitely a Carcharodon tooth,most likely from C. carcharias, the Great White. As to age, I ...
bite force of trex	10/19/2008
Q: what is the real bite force of t-rex?deinosuchus vs t-rex,who wuld win? how intelligent was t-rex? ... A: Well, psi is a unit of pressure and kN is a unit of force, but 1 kN=0.001422334 psi or 1 kilonewton ...
bite force of trex	10/17/2008
Q: what is the real bite force of t-rex?deinosuchus vs t-rex,who wuld win? how intelligent was t-rex? A: Answers range for bite forces between 12 kN (according to Erikson)to 80 kN (based on the size of ...
Bats, vipers, and others	10/15/2008
Q: I would like info on fossils (the bigger the better) of these animals; bats, vipers, rats (true rats ... A: There's not much out there on the fossils of prehistoric Sus other than scrofa (the most common ...
Bats, vipers, and others	10/14/2008
Q: I would like info on fossils (the bigger the better) of these animals; bats, vipers, rats (true rats ... A: Bats-Witwatia schlosseri: 35 mya Egypt. Only a half pound, but a giant for Microbats. ...
apatosaurus	8/17/2008
Q: thanks A: I'm afraid it's impossible to tell what color they were. They could have been gray or green, since ...
dimetrodon	8/16/2008
Q: Which traits exactly does a fossil need to have in order to be classified as a dinosaur? Why is a ... A: Well, the most specific traits are some small details about the shape of the forearms, hips, shins, ...
Masiakasaurus	8/3/2008
Q: Prus, I always wanted to know how Masiakasaurus have used his long teeth? What exactley was their ... A: Well, the teeth are long and forward-pointing, similar to pterosaurs. They probably fed on fish. ...
dinosaurs	8/3/2008
Q: as i have seen the skeletons of of diplodocus i noticed that diplodocus longus seems to be a ... A: Longus is larger than carnegii. This is based on the specimens at the Carnegie Museum and American ...
Living Counterparts	7/30/2008
Q: In your opinion, do you think plesiosaurs behaved much like modern crocodiles? How about ... A: Crocodiles are ambush predators that have a wide variety of prey species. Plesiosaurs were also ...
Plesiosaurs	7/30/2008
Q: I was watching a History Channel series that described mosasaurs as apex predators. How can that be? ... A: Well, sort of. The icthyosaurs, along with most of the plesiosaurs, went extinct at the end of the ...
Plesiosaurs	7/29/2008
Q: I was watching a History Channel series that described mosasaurs as apex predators. How can that be? ... A: The plesiosaur (technically pliosaurs, a group of plesiosaurs evolved for big game hunting) retreat ...
bone found jacksonville beach	7/24/2008
Q: found what appears to be a rib bone of a large animal,whats left of it is approx 14 inches long,the ... A: Well, most Florida fossils are of late Tertiary mammals, so it's probably something like it. To find ...
Mammoth extinction	7/14/2008
Q: I have seen many conflicting theories on the disappearance of the giant woolly mammoth on numerous ... A: Well, like all extinctions, it was probably a combination of several factors. Climate change usually ...
Hyracotherium	6/9/2008
Q: I was wondering what animal evolved or came before the Hyracotherium horse? I'm doing this for a ... A: Hyracotherium is the first recognizable horse in the fossil lineage. However, there were many likely ...
Tyrannosaurus size	5/29/2008
Q: How are you? I want to make you a question. What was the real size of the t.REX? Some books state ... A: Sue herself measures at 12.8 meters. 14 meters is an estimate based on the growth rates of the ...
listrosaurus	5/14/2008
Q: Do you have any idea why a listrosaurus is called a 'listrosaurus'? I've been looking all over the ... A: Well, I think it's a very simple spelling error: It's Lystrosaurus, with a Y instead of an I. In ...
My story	5/7/2008
Q: I'm trying to be accurate, but there are so many different views about one dinosaur! I also want to ... A: If you're writing about the Cenozoic era, you can forget about dinosaurs. As for the color of ...
dinosaurs vs other animals	5/5/2008
Q: How did other species of animals/plants survive whatever wiped out the dinosaurs, why didn't ... A: The dinosaurs required more resources, being large, warm-blooded animals. That made them more ...
questions2	5/2/2008
Q: where can i find pictures online about the natural history museum london-before 1985 as the displays ... A: I have also been unable to find any information about the mount or the general exhibit, due to my ...
Gryposaur	4/29/2008
Q: I am doing a resarch project on the new discovery of the gryposaur. I have three questions. How ... A: Gyposaurs had 300-700 teeth arranged into dental batteries. Gryposaurus have been found in three ...
dinosaurmodels	4/6/2008
Q: i understand many dinosaurs are based on little evidence but really any reconstruction no matter by ... A: Concerning the ankylosaur; there are certain variations between species, and while Ken Carpenter ...
Salary	4/3/2008
Q: I'm 14 and i am doing an assignment about my dream job Paleontology, but unfortunately i haven't ... A: It's my dream job, too, and I'm still on the way. You have to be very patient, diligent, and ...
dinosaurs2	3/31/2008
Q: first-i know that many discovieries are made regulary and that many dinosaurs have been found but ... A: Largest dinosaurs: Tallest-Sauroposeidon proteles Longest-Amphicoelias fragillimus (fragments) ...
Curiosity about dinosaurs	3/30/2008
Q: Can you please give me a list of all and I mean all the fossils of prehistoric animals and dinosaurs ... A: Tall order. I don't think I could list them all, but I do recommend the Paleobiology database ...
smilodons and arctoduses	3/12/2008
Q: What do you think when smilodons and arctoduses co-existed which ones was the "king" of the ... A: Tough question. On one hand, the short-faced bear had the size advantage and probably was the top ...
questions2	1/26/2008
Q: i have read reports about spinosaurus and the new fossils that have been found but im not sure of ... A: The first skull found by Stromer in 1915 was roughly five feet long. The second, found by Dal Sasso ...
paleontologists	1/24/2008
Q: how can paleontologists determine what a dinosaur looked like. A: Well, if there's a full skeleton, the skeleton is articulated so that all the bones line up ...
Dinosaurs	1/20/2008
Q: I understand that some dinosaurs reached weights of 60 - 100 tonnes, if so, how could they even move ... A: The Earth and its atmosphere were very similar to today's, with a few changes in minor things, like ...
ankylosaurus	1/14/2008
Q: As i am interested in dinosaurs 2 and have quite some books on them from past and present i noticed ... A: Ankylosaurus, due to the quality of the specimens, has been poorly reconstructed. Try to look up ...
dinosaurs	1/2/2008
Q: what does an archaeopteryx eat,where it lives,how big they are,what do they look like and where do ... A: Based on the teeth of the Archaeopteryx, it fed on large insects, small lizards, and other small ...
dinosaurs	1/2/2008
Q: what does an archaeopteryx eat,where it lives,how big they are,what do they look like and where do ... A: Judging by their teeth, the Archaeopteryx probably ate insects and might have scavenged on beached ...
moder vs extinct	12/18/2007
Q: Mr. Prus How do you think Smilodon Fatalis or Populator would fair against a modern Lion or Tiger, ... A: "Siberian tigers could have very well grew larger than smilodon populator and smilodon fatalis. But ...
moder vs extinct	12/17/2007
Q: Mr. Prus How do you think Smilodon Fatalis or Populator would fair against a modern Lion or Tiger, ... A: Interesting question. I'm afraid I'll have to resort to pure conjecture as it's currently impossible ...
Dinosaurs	12/10/2007
Q: how do scientists tell dinosaurs apart? If they find a small fossil, how can they tell if it is a ... A: It can be pretty confusing. The key between adults and juveniles is how strong and well-developed ...
dinosaura	12/2/2007
Q: 1. did long neck sauropods live in deep water and use their necks as snorkles? What scientist is ... A: 1. The Sauropod snorkel hypothesis was first postulated by Richard Owen in 1840, based on vertebra. ...

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David Prus

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Expertise

I can answer any general questions about dinosaurs and on prehistoric mammals in the Cenozoic. I also know a bit about the media's various depictions of dinosaurs and their inaccuracies. I don't know much about "microfauna"-small animals, or about Paleozoic besides some knowledge about Permian animals. Plants are right out, I'm afraid. Please do not ask me to identify fossils.

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I have been interested in dinosaurs for most of my life, own a large collection of scientific papers and books on the subject, and am a member of the Field Museum in Chicago.

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I am in college, but studied biology and geology both in high school and as a personal effort.

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