Originally Posted by
Circle_10
The amount of attention I’ve paid to the world of paleontology has fluctuated over the years, but even during my less interested periods I think it’s pretty accurate to call myself a lifelong dinosaur nerd. I was reading paleontology textbooks when I was like 12 (I still have a lot of them, although most of them are quite out of date now). I don’t really think I have a specific favorite dinosaur honestly, as there are so many that are cool. Tyrannosaurs and dromaeosaurs are groups I’ve kind gravitated towards on the past, but there’s just so many cool and bizarre taxa.
One newer genus I found particularly neat though is Latenivenatrix mcmasterae - the giant northern troodont discovered in Alberta Canada. The known specimen is estimated to have a body length of up to 11.5 feet.
While the actual intelligence of non-avian dinosaurs is up for debate, none of them were likely as smart as, say, a chimpanzee or something. Still, the idea of being hunted by something like Latenivenatrix in the claustrophobic environment of some dark boreal forests is kind of frightening in a cool way to me.
Pretty sure nothing, not even dolphins or dogs have the intelligence of something like a chimpanzee. But any strategic thinking dinosaur on any level is gonna be a bad day. Any dinosaur with the complex thinking capacity of a wolf pack (assuming that ever existed) would be apex predators.
Always fun to think what might have happened if there was no KT event, how intelligent dinosaurs might have evolved given another 65 million years. Obviously with some species like sharks and crocs there doesn't seem to be any change at all despite opportunity and of course if they didn't all get wiped out 65 million years ago we probably wouldn't exist to talk about it.
It's hard to be a ACLU hating, philosophically Libertarian, socially liberal, fiscally conservative, scientifically grounded, agnostic, porn admiring gun owner who believes in self determination.
Chuck, we miss ya man.
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