Comments on: Conversations with a Crocodilian http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/blog/conversations-with-a-crocodilian Enriching Enterainment Thu, 29 Jul 2010 06:19:54 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Aelaer http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/blog/conversations-with-a-crocodilian/comment-page-1#comment-10043 Aelaer Sat, 29 Aug 2009 20:19:44 +0000 http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/?p=1408#comment-10043 I was reading, and the thought of me playing the game ... Well, I sure would find it both amusing and ... Well, not too sure what word to use there. But if some carnivore was stalking in the shadows, blended into the trees and whatnot, and even I didn't see them while tending to some herbivores. As I think of it, at the moment, I'd find it all so ... wonderful? But I'm sure playing the game, I'd sort of hate them for it - "How dare they snack on my dinosaurs!" Hehe Just thought I would give me opinions and ... ideas on it. I would personally stick to camouflage, but I like bright colors - I'm a weird child, can't make up my mind. xD Whatever colors you use in the end, I'm content with. I was reading, and the thought of me playing the game …

Well, I sure would find it both amusing and … Well, not too sure what word to use there. But if some carnivore was stalking in the shadows, blended into the trees and whatnot, and even I didn’t see them while tending to some herbivores.
As I think of it, at the moment, I’d find it all so … wonderful? But I’m sure playing the game, I’d sort of hate them for it – “How dare they snack on my dinosaurs!” Hehe

Just thought I would give me opinions and … ideas on it. I would personally stick to camouflage, but I like bright colors – I’m a weird child, can’t make up my mind. xD Whatever colors you use in the end, I’m content with.

]]> By: Demon http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/blog/conversations-with-a-crocodilian/comment-page-1#comment-5955 Demon Tue, 12 May 2009 06:28:40 +0000 http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/?p=1408#comment-5955 N it wld b good to c T-Rex like in Jurassic park N it wld b good to c T-Rex like in Jurassic park

]]> By: Demon http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/blog/conversations-with-a-crocodilian/comment-page-1#comment-5954 Demon Tue, 12 May 2009 06:26:28 +0000 http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/?p=1408#comment-5954 The eye-sockets of T-rex faced mainly forwards, giving it good binocular vision like many predators. A scavenger wouldn't need advanced depth perception as a T-rex had.In modern animals, binocular vision is found mainly in predators. # Tyrannosaurs arms are short when compared to other known predators. Horner argues that the arms were too short to make the necessary gripping force to hold on to prey. # Tyrannosaurs had large olfactory bulbs and olfactory nerves (relative to their brain size). These suggest a highly developed sense of smell which could sniff out carcasses over great distances, as modern vultures do. Research on the olfactory bulbs of dinosaurs has shown that Tyrannosaurus had the most highly developed sense of smell of 21 sampled dinosaurs. Opponents of the pure scavenger hypothesis have used the example of vultures in the opposite way, arguing that the scavenger hypothesis is implausible because the only modern pure scavengers are large gliding birds, which use their keen senses and energy-efficient gliding to cover vast areas economically. However, researchers from Glasgow concluded that an ecosystem as productive as the current Serengeti would provide sufficient carrion for a large theropod scavenger, although the theropod might have had to be cold-blooded in order to get more calories from carrion than it spent on foraging (see Warm-bloodedness of dinosaurs). They also suggested that modern ecosystems like Serengeti have no large terrestrial scavengers because gliding birds now do the job much more efficiently, while large theropods did not face competition for the scavenger ecological niche from gliding birds. # Tyrannosaur teeth could crush bone, and therefore could extract as much food (bone marrow) as possible from carcass remnants, usually the least nutritious parts. Karen Chin and colleagues have found bone fragments in coprolites (fossilized dung) that they attribute to tyrannosaurs, but point out that a tyrannosaur's teeth were not well adapted to systematically chewing bone like hyenas do to extract marrow. T-rex were very rare(1 T-rex was found in eacs 250km/sq. So i dont think T-rex would have shining colours to attract a mate. i think they were more like hynas and had colours like crocks The eye-sockets of T-rex faced mainly forwards, giving it good binocular vision like many predators. A scavenger wouldn’t need advanced depth perception as a T-rex had.In modern animals, binocular vision is found mainly in predators.
# Tyrannosaurs arms are short when compared to other known predators. Horner argues that the arms were too short to make the necessary gripping force to hold on to prey.
# Tyrannosaurs had large olfactory bulbs and olfactory nerves (relative to their brain size). These suggest a highly developed sense of smell which could sniff out carcasses over great distances, as modern vultures do. Research on the olfactory bulbs of dinosaurs has shown that Tyrannosaurus had the most highly developed sense of smell of 21 sampled dinosaurs. Opponents of the pure scavenger hypothesis have used the example of vultures in the opposite way, arguing that the scavenger hypothesis is implausible because the only modern pure scavengers are large gliding birds, which use their keen senses and energy-efficient gliding to cover vast areas economically. However, researchers from Glasgow concluded that an ecosystem as productive as the current Serengeti would provide sufficient carrion for a large theropod scavenger, although the theropod might have had to be cold-blooded in order to get more calories from carrion than it spent on foraging (see Warm-bloodedness of dinosaurs). They also suggested that modern ecosystems like Serengeti have no large terrestrial scavengers because gliding birds now do the job much more efficiently, while large theropods did not face competition for the scavenger ecological niche from gliding birds.
# Tyrannosaur teeth could crush bone, and therefore could extract as much food (bone marrow) as possible from carcass remnants, usually the least nutritious parts. Karen Chin and colleagues have found bone fragments in coprolites (fossilized dung) that they attribute to tyrannosaurs, but point out that a tyrannosaur’s teeth were not well adapted to systematically chewing bone like hyenas do to extract marrow.
T-rex were very rare(1 T-rex was found in eacs 250km/sq. So i dont think T-rex would have shining colours to attract a mate. i think they were more like hynas and had colours like crocks

]]> By: Metalraptor http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/blog/conversations-with-a-crocodilian/comment-page-1#comment-3578 Metalraptor Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:22:03 +0000 http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/?p=1408#comment-3578 Hyenas are actually quite active carnivores, they hunt as much as they scavenge. T-rex probably hunted a lot of the time, but probably didn't turn its nose up at carrion or the opportunity to bully a smaller albertosaurine tyrannosaur away from a kill. (Albertosaurs were definitely more active predators than T-rex, having longer, swifter legs). There is also evidence that tyrannosaurs hunted in packs. Associations of the tyrannosaur Albertosaurus have been found up in Canada, and Kenneth Carpenter's book on Carnivorous Dinosaurs documents an association of Daspletosaurs in MT/Canada. Daspletosaurus is often thought to be the direct ancestor of T-rex (though we cannot directly prove it, since neither species is extant today). I am also glad that Troodon is in the game, to give a nice contrast to the ever common dromaeosaurid raptors. Did you know that some scientists believe that troodonts not only caught small mammals and reptiles, but were also somewhat omnivorous and took in plant matter? However, no dromaeosaur or troodont appears to be venomous. Venomous animals have very distinctive grooved teeth, and troodonts and dromaeosaurids do not have these. The only dinosaur fossil with any possibility of being venomous is a fragmentary tooth coming from Baja California. This does not mean that dinosaurs could not have had toxin in their skin, though. Recently, skin patters of Triceratops have been discovered, and they seem to indicate that ceratopsians had quills on their back, tail, and hindquarters like their ancestor Psittacosaurus. But Dr. Michael Ryan of the Cleveland Museum remarked that they could instead be used for poison secretion, like gila monsters. Perhaps you should have edits and add-ons for the game later, in case the science changes and such. Hyenas are actually quite active carnivores, they hunt as much as they scavenge. T-rex probably hunted a lot of the time, but probably didn’t turn its nose up at carrion or the opportunity to bully a smaller albertosaurine tyrannosaur away from a kill. (Albertosaurs were definitely more active predators than T-rex, having longer, swifter legs).

There is also evidence that tyrannosaurs hunted in packs. Associations of the tyrannosaur Albertosaurus have been found up in Canada, and Kenneth Carpenter’s book on Carnivorous Dinosaurs documents an association of Daspletosaurs in MT/Canada. Daspletosaurus is often thought to be the direct ancestor of T-rex (though we cannot directly prove it, since neither species is extant today).

I am also glad that Troodon is in the game, to give a nice contrast to the ever common dromaeosaurid raptors. Did you know that some scientists believe that troodonts not only caught small mammals and reptiles, but were also somewhat omnivorous and took in plant matter?

However, no dromaeosaur or troodont appears to be venomous. Venomous animals have very distinctive grooved teeth, and troodonts and dromaeosaurids do not have these. The only dinosaur fossil with any possibility of being venomous is a fragmentary tooth coming from Baja California.

This does not mean that dinosaurs could not have had toxin in their skin, though. Recently, skin patters of Triceratops have been discovered, and they seem to indicate that ceratopsians had quills on their back, tail, and hindquarters like their ancestor Psittacosaurus. But Dr. Michael Ryan of the Cleveland Museum remarked that they could instead be used for poison secretion, like gila monsters.

Perhaps you should have edits and add-ons for the game later, in case the science changes and such.

]]> By: HooblaDan http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/blog/conversations-with-a-crocodilian/comment-page-1#comment-3265 HooblaDan Wed, 28 Jan 2009 01:18:53 +0000 http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/?p=1408#comment-3265 I'm glad that Troodon is in =D. Supposedly, they were the most intelligent of the lot, and that could be fun to see. I’m glad that Troodon is in =D. Supposedly, they were the most intelligent of the lot, and that could be fun to see.

]]> By: David Sahlin http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/blog/conversations-with-a-crocodilian/comment-page-1#comment-3251 David Sahlin Tue, 27 Jan 2009 07:23:49 +0000 http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/?p=1408#comment-3251 For a category as overarching as diet, I think color scheme works perfectly. For more subtle changes, like the stego's crests, maybe a change in the markings on the body to reflect its purpose? Wavey lines for heat dissipation, for instance, can pretty easily be made to look like 'natural' markings. For a category as overarching as diet, I think color scheme works perfectly. For more subtle changes, like the stego’s crests, maybe a change in the markings on the body to reflect its purpose? Wavey lines for heat dissipation, for instance, can pretty easily be made to look like ‘natural’ markings.

]]> By: Andy Schatz http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/blog/conversations-with-a-crocodilian/comment-page-1#comment-3249 Andy Schatz Tue, 27 Jan 2009 05:56:58 +0000 http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/?p=1408#comment-3249 That's one of the things we are still trying to figure out. If there's a TON of modifyable elements, we won't be able to make visual changes for each. But in any case, we DO need to make it obvious which "form" the species currently takes. Color is probably the best way, but if you can think of anything else, I'm all ears. That’s one of the things we are still trying to figure out. If there’s a TON of modifyable elements, we won’t be able to make visual changes for each. But in any case, we DO need to make it obvious which “form” the species currently takes. Color is probably the best way, but if you can think of anything else, I’m all ears.

]]> By: David Sahlin http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/blog/conversations-with-a-crocodilian/comment-page-1#comment-3248 David Sahlin Tue, 27 Jan 2009 05:40:43 +0000 http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/?p=1408#comment-3248 Once its modified, will its scales then change to a more 'hunter-friendly' scheme? Once its modified, will its scales then change to a more ‘hunter-friendly’ scheme?

]]> By: Snares Penguin http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/blog/conversations-with-a-crocodilian/comment-page-1#comment-3245 Snares Penguin Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:12:35 +0000 http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/?p=1408#comment-3245 I'm guessing forest dinos will have shades of green, gray, and brown... eh? I’m guessing forest dinos will have shades of green, gray, and brown… eh?

]]> By: Andy Schatz http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/blog/conversations-with-a-crocodilian/comment-page-1#comment-3244 Andy Schatz Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:20:58 +0000 http://www.pocketwatchgames.com/?p=1408#comment-3244 It definitely can do more than scavenge in the game... that's just the starting point for the animal, it can be modified in the game to hunt as well! It definitely can do more than scavenge in the game… that’s just the starting point for the animal, it can be modified in the game to hunt as well!

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