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Sauropodian Stegosaurs; descendants of miragaia-like stegosaurs become sauropod-like
Topic Started: Aug 28 2010, 11:29 PM (790 Views)
Toad of Spades
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Clorothod
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Miragaia is a stegosaur with a rather long neck, especially when compared to other stegosaurs. It likely used its long neck to reach higher foliage. However stegosaurs dwindeled and became extinct in the Early Cretaceous.

So if sauropods in the northern hemisphere became extinct before the end of the Jurassic, how likely do you think it would be that long-necked stegosaurs like Miragaia would evolve into sauropod-like stegosaurs to exploit the open niche?

I think it would be highly likely if this happened before the end of the Jurassic. The earlier the better so they can avoid competition for the niche with other herbivores like the large early Iguanodonts similar to Camptosaurus. However it might not be so likely if stegosaurs like Miragaia had limited geographic range and longed-necked stegosaurs were a sparse, evolutionary oddity.
Edited by Toad of Spades, Aug 28 2010, 11:39 PM.
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Pando
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Interesting idea.

What would the spikes be used for afterward though?
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Toad of Spades
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I'm sure they could still use them. Some sauropods have spines and some even had spiked-tails.

Spinophorosaurus had four spikes on its tail. The position of the tail spikes are eerily stegosaur-like.
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Edited by Toad of Spades, Aug 28 2010, 11:48 PM.
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Kamidio
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You must draw this stegopod, NAOW!
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Toad of Spades
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I used the skeleton above as a base for the "stegopod". I made the dorsal plates small and vestigial.

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Edited by Toad of Spades, Aug 29 2010, 01:30 AM.
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Pando
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That looks good. Though the dorsal plates look to compact.
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Toad of Spades
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I tried to make them alternating but it didn't turn out too well.
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Carlos
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Note that it seems that Dravidosaurus was a chimera between plesiosaur and stegosaur remains. From India in the Late Cretaceous.

Funnily enough, some Jurassic sauropods from South America were stegosaur like.
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Ook
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interesting,i had similliar idea before some time
Edited by Ook, Aug 29 2010, 03:29 AM.
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Pando
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JohnFaa
Aug 29 2010, 03:18 AM
Note that it seems that Dravidosaurus was a chimera between plesiosaur and stegosaur remains. From India in the Late Cretaceous.

Funnily enough, some Jurassic sauropods from South America were stegosaur like.
It would of been fun speculating stegosaurs in a No-KT project if they survived.

How about Stegosaurian Sauropods?
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Rick Raptor
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Do you mean Stegosaurian in the sense of having a thagomizer, being very spiny or having a rather short neck?

Because all these features are already found in some sauropod species (although not all three together in one animal).
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Pando
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I mean all 3, in one animal.
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