Jurassic World Movies

Spinosaurus Intimidation

1707 Views13 Replies
Forum Topic

Alphadino65

MemberTriceratopsDec-27-2013 8:54 PM

Firstly, I want everyone to understand that is does not concern Spino vs Rex.

Secondly, the topic at hand.

Since Spinosaurus was discovered, theories concerning the function of it's sail have proposed concerning everything from thermo-regulation to status indication.  But what if it was used for intimidation?

Many creatures today have structures on their bodies to make themselves look bigger and scarier, such as male  lions, frilled lizards, and chameleons.  When it comes to reptiles, these structures (e.g., frills, domes, dewlaps) are generally accompanied with colour-flushing to further intimidate an adversary.

Look at the size of Spinosaurus' sail in this image:  png

If you measure the height of each theropod up to their iliac crests (top of the pelvis), the Spinosaurus isn't that much taller than the T.rex or the Mapusaurus, but the neural spines make Spinosaurus look much larger, and thus far more intimidating.  I doubt that any passing creature (e.g., Carcharadontosaurus) would not think twice before confronting a fully grown Spinosaurus with a sail of very bright colours.

If the above image was not to scale, here's another where Spinosaurus' size is scaled down a bit:

jpg

 

13 Replies

Lord Vader

MemberTyrannosaurus RexDec-27-2013 9:33 PM

First of all, the image with the skeletons is NOT a good comparison, even though this is not a Rex vs Spino, it could quickly turn into one (solution, ignore ANYONE, who bring Rex and Spino size into this).

 

That said, the topic at hand. 

 

Intimidation, mating purposes,  and temperature regulation are the three most likely uses.

 

Jack of all trades. Master of none

Alphadino65

MemberTriceratopsDec-27-2013 9:41 PM

I know what you mean MrHappy9097, that's why I included a second image.  

And I agree with the three functions being the most likely.  I only decided to concentrate on intimidation because almost everyone I spoke to (face to face) about Spinosaurus kept mentioning temperature regulation to be the main function, but didn't think the sail was really used for colour-flushing.

Thanks for your input.

DinoSteve93

MemberCompsognathusDec-28-2013 5:06 AM

I agree with both of you. I always take the sail as a 'sex tool'. I always imagine male Spinosaurus used their vivid-coloured sail to attract females for mating, AND intimidate other males. Hmmm... maybe males had sails bigger thn those of females.

It's a pretty interesting thought, but, I have to assume we never know.

Proud founder of the site Theropods Wiki! www.theropods.wikia.com

x_paden_x

MemberCompsognathusDec-28-2013 11:48 AM

Did you know, when parasaurlopus was first dicovered, they believed its horn like feature was a snorkel for underwater events 'n stuff, Now we know its for nasal calls, the echo for long distances....

 

These are some really good theroies...

Life cannot be contained, it breaks walls, crashes through barriers sometimes painfully, but uh... Life uh, finds a way

DinoSteve93

MemberCompsognathusDec-28-2013 11:57 AM

Thanks, and I know that. Pretty strange. I have an old dinosaur book that features them as "giant snorkeling ducks"!

Proud founder of the site Theropods Wiki! www.theropods.wikia.com

Lord Vader

MemberTyrannosaurus RexDec-28-2013 12:01 PM

I've heard that theory too. What research has proven.

 

Jack of all trades. Master of none

Spinosaurus Rex

MemberCompsognathusDec-28-2013 2:32 PM

This guy just mentioned size, saying it was just the spine that made it look that big.

Lord Vader

MemberTyrannosaurus RexDec-28-2013 2:45 PM

Actually, he said that they are almost the same height at the pelvis, but the sail makes it look larger, thusly, more intimidating. Stay out of size though, is is purely the intimidation factor of that sail.

 

Jack of all trades. Master of none

Lord Vader

MemberTyrannosaurus RexDec-28-2013 2:46 PM

Double post

Jack of all trades. Master of none

Spinosaurus Rex

MemberCompsognathusDec-28-2013 3:02 PM

But he dont know that, you know what i mean

Lord Vader

MemberTyrannosaurus RexDec-28-2013 3:19 PM

Based off of most dipictions of their sizes, they are similar height to each other, but the sail makes it look a helluva lot taller than it would be without it. It's all just his opinion, and we have ours, so we don't HAVE to agree with it, just give it some consideration.

Jack of all trades. Master of none

Rex Fan 684

MemberCompsognathusDec-28-2013 3:30 PM

Spinosaurus may have used its sail for intimidaition, thermoregulation, display, or something else entirely. That said, it may have used its sail for more than one purpose. 

 

"Men like me don't start the wars. We just die in them. We've always died in them, and we always will. We don't expect any praise for it, no parades. No one knows our names." ―Alpha-98

Sci-Fi King25

MemberAllosaurusJan-03-2014 10:26 AM

Yeah...Like an Anole or Bird of Paradise. The female Spino might've had a smaller sail than the male. It probably was the amazing multi-purpose tool used by Spinosaurus.

“Banana oil.”- George Takei, Gigantis: The Fire Monster

Add A Reply
Sign In Required
Sign in using your Scified Account to access this feature!
Email
Password
Latest Images
Jurassic Park/World Jurassic Park Fandom
Jurassic World Movies Forums
Jurassic World Fan Artwork
Jurassic World Fan Artwork Share your Jurassic World fan art here
Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs Talk About Dinosaurs
Jurassic World
Jurassic World Discuss Jurassic World Here
Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park Discuss Jurassic Park 1 - 3
Jurassic Park Games
Jurassic Park Games Talk About Jurassic Park Games
Jurassic World Merchandise
Jurassic World Merchandise Discuss Jurassic World merchandise here
Hot Forum Topics
New Forum Topics
Highest Forum Ranks Unlocked
ThatOneInGenWorker
ThatOneInGenWorker » Compsognathus
10% To Next Rank
Latest Jurassic Fandom Activity
Member
Shobin50 just posted a new review for Godzilla Minus One and rated the film 5 out of 5. See why they rated Godzilla Minus One this way, by reading their full review!

JurassicWorld-Movies.com is a fan website dedicated to all things Jurassic Park and Jurassic World! This website was developed, created and is maintained by Jurassic Park fans and is not officially affiliated with Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment or any other respective owners of Jurassic World IP.

© 2024 Scified.com
Sign in
Use your Scified Account to sign in


Log in to view your personalized notifications across Scified!

Transport To Communities
Alien Hosted Community
Cloverfield Hosted Community
Godzilla Hosted Community
Jurassic World Hosted Community
Predator Hosted Community
Aliens vs. Predator Hosted Community
Latest Activity
Forums
Search Scified
Trending Articles
Blogs & Editorials