Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login
The John Byrne Forum
Byrne Robotics > The John Byrne Forum Page of 6 Next >>
Topic: Scary Skulls (Topic Closed Topic Closed) Post ReplyPost New Topic
Author
Message
John Byrne
Avatar
Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133266
Posted: 28 April 2013 at 5:16am | IP Logged | 1  

Time for my semi-annual rant about dinosaur restorations, and how I am convinced we have let their "scary skulls" dupe us into thinking they had scary faces when alive.

As testimony, I offer again what I think is one of the scariest skulls out there, and invite guesses as to what living creature it belongs to. As usual, if you KNOW already, hold off answering so others can think about it. And no cheating! Don't try to find it online!

Back to Top profile | search
 
Thad Studebaker
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 1113
Posted: 28 April 2013 at 5:44am | IP Logged | 2  

Based on the large outer tusks, it looks like it could be a hippopotamus.  The teeth up front are keeping me from committing to the hippo, though.



Edited by Thad Studebaker on 28 April 2013 at 5:49am
Back to Top profile | search
 
Kip Lewis
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 01 March 2011
Posts: 2880
Posted: 28 April 2013 at 5:46am | IP Logged | 3  

Boar?
Back to Top profile | search
 
Steven McCauley
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 23 June 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 1431
Posted: 28 April 2013 at 5:54am | IP Logged | 4  

Warthog?
Back to Top profile | search e-mail
 
Craig Robinson
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 28 November 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 1756
Posted: 28 April 2013 at 6:57am | IP Logged | 5  

That's pretty wild.  It looks like two completely different sets of teeth systems merged together.  The front for tearing flesh and the back for grinding grains and plants.  The back teeth remind me of horse teeth.

I'd guess some kind of warthog as well were it not for the spikey teeth protruding from the front.  Some kind of sea lion maybe? Color me flummoxed.

Back to Top profile | search
 
Jodi Moisan
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 19 February 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 6832
Posted: 28 April 2013 at 7:17am | IP Logged | 6  

I am joining ranks of the Warthog chorus.

"When I was a young warthog...................."
Back to Top profile | search | www
 
Glen Keith
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 04 July 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 851
Posted: 28 April 2013 at 7:43am | IP Logged | 7  

Well, logic would dictate that in order for this to represent JB's hypothesis that the animal would need a face that isn't considered scary or ugly. This would seem to rule out warthogs.

I agree with Thad. Given the tusk, I'd say hippo. A very hungry, hungry hippo at that.
Back to Top profile | search
 
Mike Purdy
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 29 April 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 1448
Posted: 28 April 2013 at 8:30am | IP Logged | 8  

Hippos are really ferocious so I have trouble thinking of them as anything but scary, but they are cute. And I actually don't know if they have tusks or not and I'm resisting looking it up on google sol, I gotta go with warthog too.
Back to Top profile | search e-mail
 
Terry Thielen
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 30 May 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 480
Posted: 28 April 2013 at 8:35am | IP Logged | 9  

The idea that Dinosaur skulls are shrink-wrapped in skin is certainly drifting out of favor (except, perhaps, in the general public, but they are also still fighting the idea of feathers which is sad). Many artists and scientists are exploring ideas that might seem a bit outlandish. 

Here is a link explaining artist Brian Engh's interpretation of a Sauroposeidon. http://svpow.com/2010/12/13/pimp-my-pod-2-haids/

"it looks like someone shrink-wrapped the skull. But this is not what the heads of real animals look like at all. If you look at almost any animal, whether it is a lizard, croc,* turtle, snake, bird, cow, horse, rodent, or human, you can’t see the holes in the skull because they are filled with muscles or air sacs and smoothed over with skin. "
Back to Top profile | search
 
Terry Thielen
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 30 May 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 480
Posted: 28 April 2013 at 8:38am | IP Logged | 10  

oh, and I vote HIPPO
Back to Top profile | search
 
Andrew Davey
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 27 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 1442
Posted: 28 April 2013 at 9:26am | IP Logged | 11  

Mouth strucuture seems a little small for a hippo... but it probably is...I vote hippo too.

Back to Top profile | search e-mail
 
Stephen Bergstrom
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 18 December 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 522
Posted: 28 April 2013 at 9:59am | IP Logged | 12  

I'm going with chihuahua.
Back to Top profile | search
 

Page of 6 Next >>
  Post ReplyPost New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

 Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login