Predict the Future

[shran]

Ah, the pteradactyl. Does it happen to be a giant pink robotic pteradactyl?

[Reliant121]

Walking with Dinosaurs is my favorite, simply because I still am fascinated by dinosaurs. My favorite dinosaur has always been tricerotops, followed by ankylosaurus. Two badass herbivores who knew how to defend themselves. Take that, T-rex!

I always liked the Ankylosaurus.

[Tsukiyumi]

Same here. Except, I've wondered for a long time - how much firepower it would take to penetrate that shell?

[Mikey]

Same here. Except, I've wondered for a long time - how much firepower it would take to penetrate that shell?

The problem isn't firepower - it's finding a tree stand out of reach.

Teaos - that's a very common assumption, but the pterosaurs (like the pterodactyl) technically weren't dinosaurs.

[Sionnach Glic]

I've always had a liking for deinonychus.

[Captain Seafort]

I've always had a liking for deinonychus.

Ditto. I recall being rather miffed when Jurassic Park referred to them as Velociraptors.

[Sionnach Glic]

I think he did that because the name velociraptor was more well known.

[mwhittington]

Yeah, velociraptor was the "6-foot turkey".
And how much firepower could penetrate ankylosaurus armor? Maybe a .50 BMG would be to start, but I'd go with the 20mm Vulcan cannon. I'm sure Deepcrush would know for sure!

[Mikey]

I've always had a liking for deinonychus.

Me too. The intelligence to hunt cooperatively is an awesome trait in animals... and the ability to leap and attack you from above with six-inch slashing claws fon't hurt, either.

On a side not, before the forum opened part of an extensive e-mail I sent to Graham detailed how strange it was that TNG had a planet named Deinonychus.

[Sionnach Glic]

Me too. The intelligence to hunt cooperatively is an awesome trait in animals... and the ability to leap and attack you from above with six-inch slashing claws fon't hurt, either.

I've often wondered what would have become of them had the extinction event not wiped them out. Would they have achieved sapience millions of years before we even evolved? Would we ever have evolved at all with them around? Would we evolve much as we did historicaly, only to find the ruins of Deinonychus cities burried within the ground, destroyed eons ago by nuclear war?

On a side not, before the forum opened part of an extensive e-mail I sent to Graham detailed how strange it was that TNG had a planet named Deinonychus.

It did? Odd.

[Mikey]

I've often wondered what would have become of them had the extinction event not wiped them out. Would they have achieved sapience millions of years before we even evolved? Would we ever have evolved at all with them around? Would we evolve much as we did historicaly, only to find the ruins of Deinonychus cities burried within the ground, destroyed eons ago by nuclear war?

I'd imagine the unimpressive but common-sense answer would be - no. The ability to use tools is a common indicator, and there is nothing in the evolutionary precursors or descendants of the deinonychus to indicate any tendency to develop a thumb. Secondly, things like wolves, lions, etc., show the same abilities and pre-date humanity, yet where have they gotten?

[Sionnach Glic]

Agreed, in all likelyhood it wouldn't have happened. Still, an interesting subject to think about.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Ah, the pteradactyl. Does it happen to be a giant pink robotic pteradactyl?

Along with a metal-munching T-rex?

The dinosaurs... after 165 million years, if they didn't develop sapience by then... probably not.

Although let's face it. It'd be kick-ass if they did.