[{"id":166,"title":"Establishment of a World Dinosaur Congress/Organisation","sha":"2956754ba7186f953a50c92ce254611f","user_id":45,"state":"published","body":"Dinosaurs are the most popular and well known extinct animals known to humankind.  They have been regarded with awe since the first discovery of Megalodon and the coining of the term _dinosaur_ by Richard Owen. In the 1950s they experienced something of a revival and have been popular ever since, particularly with the discovery of new species and fossils which indicate that clades of dinosaurs evolved into modern day birds. Some of the new fossils indicate known species may have had prototypical feathers. With the current enormous popularity of dinosaurs, many astonishing new discoveries and related controversies around interpreting known species, I propose the establishment of a World Dinosaur Congress to oversee the naming and classification of dinosaurs.  This would by no means be binding, subject to the best evidence available, and similar in intent to the astronomy congress that demoted Pluto. With plans for dinosaur reengineering, a body for oversight would be most useful.","created_at":"2015-05-27T13:01:39.753Z","updated_at":"2015-05-27T20:42:19.813Z","zenodo_id":30623,"doi":"http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18052","subject":null,"tags":["dinosaurs","congress"],"vote_count":1,"view_count":1,"score":1.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":false,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null},{"id":131,"title":"The evolution of smaller arms in theropod dinosaurs","sha":"29ffd9fa11e898da1905098178e8c5c6","user_id":510,"state":"published","body":"Carnivorous theropod dinosaurs may have had brilliant breast displays that were better shown off with less distracting arm size.  At mating time female theropods selected males with smaller arms, for it was in the display that male potency was better measured.  Arms blocked and confused the message.\r\n   Today many dull, dark, and drab colored birds have complex breast displays with bright colors, bold spots, streaks, and bands.  Birds evolved arms that were held at their sides to maximize their displays since they had to maintain certain wing size for flight.  Large theropod dinosaurs didn't have such needs, so arms simply aimed at getting less obvious by getting smaller.\r\n  Carnivorous theropods that hunted live prey would also do well to reduce ostentation to the breast where it could be directed or hidden at will.  Loud fluorescent patterns and colors wouldn't much help a large stalking predator.\r\n  Breast displays could be accomplished via skin pigmentation or short feathers.  Feathers would be additionally useful by providing iridescence.  Feathers could be made erect; and with head shaking, strengthen the display. It would also be a protecting layer where the body made contact with the ground. ","created_at":"2015-03-26T08:45:08.018Z","updated_at":"2023-02-07T09:02:47.124Z","zenodo_id":25717,"doi":"http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16374","subject":null,"tags":["evolution","dinosaurs","theropod","breast display"],"vote_count":1,"view_count":1,"score":1.1,"deleted":false,"muted":false,"tweeted":false,"attachment_file_name":null,"attachment_content_type":null,"attachment_file_size":null,"attachment_updated_at":null}]