kyoti
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2020
Posts: 542
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Post by kyoti on Nov 22, 2020 9:56:50 GMT -5
You made me laugh Dave! Mr. Hadrosaur will have the caliente calcite appetizer at table#4 😄😄
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,577
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Post by RWA3006 on Nov 22, 2020 10:23:40 GMT -5
One odd thing that caught my eye in Dave's post was the picture of the hadrosaur pelvis. It occurred to me that perhaps these animals didn't walk bipedal or 4 footed but instead hop walked like rabbits and kangaroos? The way their and un-even legs look and the general posture looks a lot like how those mammals do rather than say a duck or goose. What do you all think? I would have to plead ignorance, but I do know according to what I learned way back in a college kinesiology course the laws governing mass, inertia, and body construction would argue against it. I remember as a kid noticing a big difference in agility between our quarter horses and draft horses.
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Post by 1dave on Nov 22, 2020 10:56:17 GMT -5
I say it is time to round up the usual suspects and interrogate them!
"Why did you chomp on them there rocks? Was it just to appease hunger pangs? Perhaps they just looked delicious?"
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,577
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Post by RWA3006 on Nov 22, 2020 11:33:13 GMT -5
I've watched deer, elk, mountain sheep, cows and horses eat dirt and it wasn't just little nibbles either. One fall at elk hunting camp I spilled a couple pounds of salt on the ground in a spruce grove and when I came back the next year there was a two foot wide crater in the dirt where the elk had eaten it. I wonder if the dinos craved minerals the way critters do today?
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Post by 1dave on Nov 22, 2020 13:27:35 GMT -5
I've watched deer, elk, mountain sheep, cows and horses eat dirt and it wasn't just little nibbles either. One fall at elk hunting camp I spilled a couple pounds of salt on the ground in a spruce grove and when I came back the next year there was a two foot wide crater in the dirt where the elk had eaten it. I wonder if the dinos craved minerals the way critters do today? Good observation and thought! Are lizards attracted to salt?
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Post by 1dave on Nov 22, 2020 13:48:35 GMT -5
animals.mom.com/how-do-reptiles-digest-12312600.htmlHow Do Reptiles Digest? By Siobhan Shier | Updated September 26, 2017 Reptiles don't chew their food to a manageable state. Carnivorous reptiles swallow little animals and insects whole without masticating, while herbivorous reptiles face the same problem, only with plants. Digesting a whole animal, bones, fur and all, can be a burden on the digestive system. Periods of Fasting ... Large reptiles, such as crocodiles or boa constrictors, do not eat daily. They go for long periods, up to and even longer than six weeks, between meals, and then eat something massive, like a whole animal. A python can go for a month after eating a rabbit, but can last several months, and up to a year, after eating a much larger animal, like a deer. Full-grown crocodiles also can live off of a single large meal for an extended period of time, digesting the food slowly and then fasting until the next meal comes along. Young crocodiles and pythons have to eat more frequently, but also go through periods of fasting until the next meal comes along. Carnivorous Reptiles ... Carnivorous reptiles have short guts designed to efficiently break down meat. Though it is a simple process, reptiles are slower than mammals to digest food. The inability to chew, as well as a lower metabolism, forces reptiles to spend more time digesting, but also allows for longer periods between meals. Herbivorous Reptiles ... Like carnivorous reptiles, herbivorous reptiles cannot chew to speed up digestion. Instead, they swallow rocks and pebbles, which slosh about in the gut to help break down food by grinding it. Snake Digestion ... A snake's stomach stretches to accommodate a meal. Unlike the rest of a snake's body, the stomach doesn't just stretch, it also grows. The snake's internal organs revert to original size after the meal is digested. The organs then follow a process similar to a snake shedding its skin: the gut tissues shed old cells and grow a significant number of new ones, preparing the body for fasting and the next feast. Time ... Time is the biggest factor in a reptile's eating cycle. Time is spent digesting the meal and waiting until next prey comes along. Another advantage of taking longer to digest a meal is that it requires less than a tenth of the same amount of energy a mammal would use to digest the same meal. ######################################################## prezi.com/v1jhacbkww5d/digestive-system-of-the-reptiles/DIGESTIVE SYSTEM OF THE REPTILES ##################################################### www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/physzool.57.1.30155960Structure and Function of the Digestive Tract of a Herbivorous Lizard Iguana iguana Katherine Troyer Abstract PDF Abstract The green iguana, Iguana iguana, is herbivorous throughout life and utilizes a microbial fermentation system in the elaborated hindgut to degrade plant fiber. Iguanas degrade hemicellulose and cellulose approximately as effectively as their mammalian counterparts: mean NDF (total cell wall fiber) digestibility in food with a lignification index of 18 was 54%, compared with a mean of 60% in ruminant mammals. Iguanas also extract leaf protein effectively: protein true digestibility averaged 86%, compared with 89% in ruminants and 88% in nonruminants. Volatile fatty acids (VFAs), the products of fiber fermentation used by the herbivore for energy, were detected in the hindgut organs of Iguana in concentrations similar to those in the rumen of cattle (807 vs. 876 μmol/g dry mass). The individual digestive organs maintain their relative proportions through ontogeny, and the ratio of digestive tract capacity to net body mass is the same in growing and mature iguanas. Contrary to previous assertions, reptiles can be as efficient herbivores as mammals.
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Post by 1dave on Nov 22, 2020 14:12:43 GMT -5
courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-biology/chapter/digestive-systems/Vertebrate Digestive Systems Vertebrates have evolved more complex digestive systems to adapt to their dietary needs. Some animals have a single stomach, while others have multi-chambered stomachs. Birds have developed a digestive system adapted to eating un-masticated (un-chewed) food. Monogastric: Single-chambered Stomach As the word monogastric suggests, this type of digestive system consists of one (“mono”) stomach chamber (“gastric”). Humans and many animals have a monogastric digestive system. The process of digestion begins with the mouth and the intake of food. The teeth play an important role in masticating (chewing) or physically breaking down food into smaller particles. The enzymes present in saliva also begin to chemically break down food. The esophagus is a long tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. Using peristalsis, the muscles of the esophagus push the food towards the stomach. In order to speed up the actions of enzymes in the stomach, the stomach has an extremely acidic environment, with a pH between 1.5 and 2.5. The gastric juices, which include enzymes in the stomach, act on the food particles and continue the process of digestion. In the small intestine, enzymes produced by the liver, the small intestine, and the pancreas continue the process of digestion. The nutrients are absorbed into the blood stream across the epithelial cells lining the walls of the small intestines. The waste material travels to the large intestine where water is absorbed and the drier waste material is compacted into feces that are stored until excreted through the rectum. image Mammalian digestive system (non-ruminant): (a) Humans and herbivores, such as the (b) rabbit, have a monogastric digestive system. However, in the rabbit, the small intestine and cecum are enlarged to allow more time to digest plant material. The enlarged organ provides more surface area for absorption of nutrients. Avian Birds face special challenges when it comes to obtaining nutrition from food. They do not have teeth, so their digestive system must be able to process un-masticated food. Birds have evolved a variety of beak types that reflect the vast variety in their diet, ranging from seeds and insects to fruits and nuts. Because most birds fly, their metabolic rates are high in order to efficiently process food while keeping their body weight low. The stomach of birds has two chambers: the proventriculus, where gastric juices are produced to digest the food before it enters the stomach, and the gizzard, where the food is stored, soaked, and mechanically ground. The undigested material forms food pellets that are sometimes regurgitated. Most of the chemical digestion and absorption happens in the intestine, while the waste is excreted through the cloaca. image Bird digestive system: The avian esophagus has a pouch, called a crop, which stores food. Food passes from the crop to the first of two stomachs, called the proventriculus, which contains digestive juices that break down food. From the proventriculus, the food enters the second stomach, called the gizzard, which grinds food. Some birds swallow stones or grit, which are stored in the gizzard, to aid the grinding process. Birds do not have separate openings to excrete urine and feces. Instead, uric acid from the kidneys is secreted into the large intestine and combined with waste from the digestive process. This waste is excreted through an opening called the cloaca.
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Post by stephan on Nov 22, 2020 21:28:57 GMT -5
courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-biology/chapter/digestive-systems/Vertebrate Digestive Systems Vertebrates have evolved more complex digestive systems to adapt to their dietary needs. Some animals have a single stomach, while others have multi-chambered stomachs. Birds have developed a digestive system adapted to eating un-masticated (un-chewed) food. Monogastric: Single-chambered Stomach As the word monogastric suggests, this type of digestive system consists of one (“mono”) stomach chamber (“gastric”). Humans and many animals have a monogastric digestive system. The process of digestion begins with the mouth and the intake of food. The teeth play an important role in masticating (chewing) or physically breaking down food into smaller particles. The enzymes present in saliva also begin to chemically break down food. The esophagus is a long tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. Using peristalsis, the muscles of the esophagus push the food towards the stomach. In order to speed up the actions of enzymes in the stomach, the stomach has an extremely acidic environment, with a pH between 1.5 and 2.5. The gastric juices, which include enzymes in the stomach, act on the food particles and continue the process of digestion. In the small intestine, enzymes produced by the liver, the small intestine, and the pancreas continue the process of digestion. The nutrients are absorbed into the blood stream across the epithelial cells lining the walls of the small intestines. The waste material travels to the large intestine where water is absorbed and the drier waste material is compacted into feces that are stored until excreted through the rectum. image Mammalian digestive system (non-ruminant): (a) Humans and herbivores, such as the (b) rabbit, have a monogastric digestive system. However, in the rabbit, the small intestine and cecum are enlarged to allow more time to digest plant material. The enlarged organ provides more surface area for absorption of nutrients. Avian Birds face special challenges when it comes to obtaining nutrition from food. They do not have teeth, so their digestive system must be able to process un-masticated food. Birds have evolved a variety of beak types that reflect the vast variety in their diet, ranging from seeds and insects to fruits and nuts. Because most birds fly, their metabolic rates are high in order to efficiently process food while keeping their body weight low. The stomach of birds has two chambers: the proventriculus, where gastric juices are produced to digest the food before it enters the stomach, and the gizzard, where the food is stored, soaked, and mechanically ground. The undigested material forms food pellets that are sometimes regurgitated. Most of the chemical digestion and absorption happens in the intestine, while the waste is excreted through the cloaca. image Bird digestive system: The avian esophagus has a pouch, called a crop, which stores food. Food passes from the crop to the first of two stomachs, called the proventriculus, which contains digestive juices that break down food. From the proventriculus, the food enters the second stomach, called the gizzard, which grinds food. Some birds swallow stones or grit, which are stored in the gizzard, to aid the grinding process. Birds do not have separate openings to excrete urine and feces. Instead, uric acid from the kidneys is secreted into the large intestine and combined with waste from the digestive process. This waste is excreted through an opening called the cloaca. Very educational pictures/diagrams, but they also look like something from the imagination of Clive Barker.
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,577
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Post by RWA3006 on Nov 23, 2020 15:28:28 GMT -5
The parents of a youngster had me put together a coprolite collection for his birthday.
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Post by jasoninsd on Nov 23, 2020 15:49:32 GMT -5
The parents of a youngster had me put together a coprolite collection for his birthday. Personally, I think that's a GREAT birthday gift! Quite an assortment in there! Good on his folks! When I was in my late 20's or early 30's I was working in a call center. It was my birthday and I came back from lunch to find a bouquet of flowers on my desk...except the flowers were wilted and looked like they were covered with poop. They were from my mother and the card read "Don't let anyone else give you crap on your birthday!" A local flower shop had put it together...it was all "predigested" food on the flowers, but they made it look pretty real! LOL
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Post by stephan on Nov 23, 2020 23:37:32 GMT -5
I've watched deer, elk, mountain sheep, cows and horses eat dirt and it wasn't just little nibbles either. One fall at elk hunting camp I spilled a couple pounds of salt on the ground in a spruce grove and when I came back the next year there was a two foot wide crater in the dirt where the elk had eaten it. I wonder if the dinos craved minerals the way critters do today? Good observation and thought! Are lizards attracted to salt? Birds utilize mineral licks quite extensively, making it not unlikely for dinos.
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Post by stephan on Nov 23, 2020 23:43:54 GMT -5
The parents of a youngster had me put together a coprolite collection for his birthday. Very lucky kids, and nice, supportive parents. Those are some nice specimens.
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,577
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Post by RWA3006 on Nov 24, 2020 7:58:32 GMT -5
TURD TUESDAY! I consider this one to be museum grade.
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Post by stephan on Nov 24, 2020 9:05:15 GMT -5
Indeed. Nice one -- another spectacular septarian poop.
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Post by 1dave on Nov 24, 2020 10:04:01 GMT -5
Grade Your Poop <__> % shrinkage
<__> % agate
<__> % fiber, twigs, limbs, bone, etc
<__> % gastroliths ___________________________________
<__> Total Score
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Post by jasoninsd on Nov 24, 2020 10:32:15 GMT -5
Was it a coincidence that Turd Tuesday fell in conjunction with Taco Tuesday? Methinks not! I believe I saw a similar grading system to the one 1dave just posted on the bathroom stall at Taco Johns! I'm assuming they would like entries to be less scientifically based than that of Dave's... RWA3006 - nice turd for today's example!
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,577
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Post by RWA3006 on Nov 24, 2020 20:19:05 GMT -5
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,577
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Post by RWA3006 on Nov 24, 2020 22:06:08 GMT -5
A couple hours ago I was showing my coprolite collection to a friend and he surprised me with the question "why do you collect coprolites?"
I was speechless, and couldn't verbalize the answer, after all why WOULDN'T I collect them? It was so obvious, like a self evident truth!
Yet I couldn't say why in spite of a driving irresistible craving to seek the ultimate undiscovered specimen that promises wonders not yet seen.
The quest beckons and I'm restless to explore regions I've yet to visit. The rest of the week will be spent in the exquisite emptyness of the great American desert, out of cell service and away from civilization.
I caught a glimpse of a new area on a previous trip and snapped a photo. I've got to see what lies beyond that next ridge.
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,577
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Post by RWA3006 on Nov 24, 2020 22:07:36 GMT -5
Oops, wrong photo.
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,577
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Post by RWA3006 on Nov 24, 2020 22:11:50 GMT -5
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