E02 #01 '경쟁' 드레아드노우그투스 Dreadnoughtus

2편. 사막 Desert

 : 드레아드노우그투스 Dreadnoughtus

 : 타르보사우루스 Tarbosaurus

 : 벨로키랍토르 Velociraptor

 : 모노니쿠스 Mononykus

 : Azhdarchid

 : 안킬로사우루스 Ankylosaurs

 : Alvarezsaurs

 : 테리지노사우르스 Therizinosaurs 

 : 바르바리닥틸루스 Barbaridactylus

 : Hadrosaur

---

---

Deserts kicks off in western South America on an arid plain where a mass gathering of the giant titanosaur Dreadnoughtus have gathered to display and compete for mates. Dreadnoughtus, from Argentina, was named in 2014 by Kenneth Lacovara (shown in photo!) and colleagues.

 

The idea that sauropods might have gathered and competed is based on behaviour seen in modern birds, mammals and other animals. Remember that events like this MUST have happened in the past, as they do today.

Furthermore, our team was keen to help dispel the 'gentle giant' stereotype so commonly associated with sauropods. They were very likely aggressive, 'combat ready' and competitive, as are their living relatives (lizards, crocs and birds are all very fighty!)

 

Titanosaurs were relatively agile and extreme_ behaviour like rearing and even slow bipedal walking is backed by anatomy (wide hips, strongly muscled hindlimbs, muscular tail used as a prop etc). Their front halves were lighter than you might expect due to extensive pneumaticity.

 

The concept of sauropods - even giant ones - being combative and perhaps partly specialised for intraspecific fighting is known as the BRONTOSMASH! hypothesis, and it's a case that Mike Taylor, Brian Engh, Mathew Wedel and I have been putting together over recent years.

 

You can read a ton/tonne more about BRONTOSMASH! at SVPOW!, and check out the amazing art. This work mostly pertains to apatosaurine sauropods, not titanosaurs, but some of it is applicable to titanosaurs too, oh yes..

https://svpow.com/category/brontosmash/

#Brontosmash – Sauropod Vertebra Picture of the Week

We reasoned that big animals that need to gather, compete and display would do so in traditional meeting places that are big and open - Dreadnoughtus lived relatively close to some large S American deserts that would have been within walking distance.

 

...a reminder that we built highly detailed palaeoclimate/palaeogeographical maps for Prehistoric Planet, mostly not yet released..

---

David Krentz Concept Art

Hero male Dreadnaughtus. I think the final was even heavier looking.

render of hero males face

I thought dropping the fleshy the corner of the mouth might make him look more strong.

The hump on the base of the tail was fat storage.

Hero male Dreadnaughtus. Trying to make a sauropod less derpy.