Week 10: Sauropods

Question 1

sauropod vs theropds

Answer 1

both had saurischian pelvis.
sauropods are:
quadrupedal
herbivores
small heads
long tail/neck

Question 2

basal sauropods and features

Answer 2

prosauropods

mostly bipedal
lunate thumb claw
(EX) plateosaurus

Question 3

prosauropod to sauropod evolution

Answer 3

leaf shaped teeth (stripping vegitation) small and pointy at the sides
new digestive systems (large torso for fermentation and gastroliths)
longer arms (made them slower)
longer tail/necks
increase in overall size

Question 4

sauropod teeth

Answer 4

skinny pencil like teeth-no chewing
spaced out for stripping branches and only in the front of the mouth

Question 5

sauropod skulls

Answer 5

small with large holes- lighter, easier for neck to support

nostrils moved upwards (no answer to why)

Question 6

sauropod necks

Answer 6

neck vertebrae had pneumatic holes and air pockets to counter their size

neck and tail held upright by strong interlocking vertebrae.
Held their necks horizontally.

Question 7

sauropod legs

Answer 7

high density to support the fatty

front foot- stood on toes with one large claw
Back foot- flat toes

tracks confirm narrow stances with no tail marks

Question 8

sauropods as prey

Answer 8

300% bigger than any predator, long whip like tails. Kept in herds, hard to kill

Question 9

sauropod reproduction

Answer 9

15-30 egg clusters entire colonies having 10,000 eggs- only expecting some to survive to maturity

colonies were layered- they would return to lay eggs at the same place.

did not sit on eggs

Question 10

2 branches of sauropods

Answer 10

diplidocoids
macronaria

Question 11

diplidocoids

Answer 11

longest dinosaur
long skulls with teeth at front of mouth only

(EX) diplodocus, apatosaurus, brontosaurus (thunder lizard)

Question 12

macronarians

Answer 12

shorter but heavier
small skull with more powerful bite

(ex) brachiosaurus, titanosaurus