Comments on: Yutyrannus, the Most Cuddly Dinosaur Ever

By: Julia

Julia — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:48:02 +0000

I found this article extemely interesting, but disliked the use of the word “sexiest”

By: Mike Huggins

Mike Huggins — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:55:59 +0000

Thank heaven it doesn’t look like this dude that Brian so ably plucked: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/dinosaur/files/2012/03/deinonychus-feathers-2.jpg (the LVMNH “Deinonychus”)

By: Henrique Niza

Henrique Niza — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:23:59 +0000

Yes, that is indeed quite true.

By: Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:15:57 +0000

Something to point out: rugose midline crests seem to be present on the medium-sized basal members of Megalosauroidea (Monolophosaurus), Allosauroidea (sinraptorids, to some degree), and basal coelurosaurs (proceratosaurids and Yutyrannus). This may simply be a basal tetanurine trait, independently lost or modified in derived members of the various clades.

By: Henrique Niza

Henrique Niza — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:41:32 +0000

Got a read on the paper and the dorsal crest is more similar to carcharodontosaurs rugose snouts than Proceratosaurus crests.

By: Henrique Niza

Henrique Niza — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:07:01 +0000

I was wondering if there might be a slight chance Yutyrannus is a proceratosaurid or related to, mainly due the dorsal crest?

By: Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.

Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:48:42 +0000

I just want to point out that if Yutyrannus isn’t a tyrannosauroid, it almost has to be basal to a tyrannosauroid + more bird-like coelurosaur groups, so it drags the origin of fuzz even lower down the family tree. It would be very unlikely that it is more closely related to birds than are classic tyrannosaurids.