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Natural Science Forum / Biology / Paleontology / November 2004Could dinosaurs have set their nests?
I've heard people say that dinosaurs were warm blooded, or that some of them were, or possibly were, or whatever. If they were, would they have had to set their nests? Does the platypus set its nest? If not, how does it get the eggs warm enough to develop? If the dinosaurs didn't have to set, is it likely that they would at least have had to turn the eggs regularly? Do some reptiles today need to turn their eggs? > I've heard people say that dinosaurs were warm blooded, > or that some of them were, or possibly were, or whatever. > If they were, would they have had to set their nests? There is good evidence that some dinosaurs, at least, did "set their nests". But you seem to be implying that because birds "set their nests" then (other) dinosaurs may have done so also. But not all birds "set their nests". Check out how the Australian Mallee Fowl and the Emporer Penguin keep their eggs warm. > Does the platypus set its nest? Not exactly. It curls up in it's burrow with the egg. Rather like bears with their cubs or some other penguins with their eggs and chicks. That other monotreme, the echidna, keeps its egg in its pouch. > Do some reptiles today need to turn their eggs? Turtles don't but I am not too sure about other egg-laying reptiles. -- Henry Bartlett > I've heard people say that dinosaurs were warm blooded, > or that some of them were, or possibly were, or whatever. > If they were, would they have had to set their nests? There is an Oviraptor fossil that is interpreted as being just that: a dinosaur that died while incubating its eggs. > Does the platypus set its nest? If not, how does it get the > eggs warm enough to develop? If the dinosaurs didn't > have to set, is it likely that they would at least have had > to turn the eggs regularly? Do some reptiles today need > to turn their eggs? Some birds do not sit on their nests. Look up megapodes. They use the heat from volcanos or rotting vegetation to warm their eggs. > I've heard people say that dinosaurs were warm blooded, > or that some of them were, or possibly were, or whatever. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > to turn the eggs regularly? Do some reptiles today need > to turn their eggs? It seems unlikely that the larger dinosaurs directly incubated their eggs. Modern crocodilians bury their eggs in dirt and leaves and let the heat generated from the rotting vegetable matter incubate the eggs. I wouldn't be surprised to find that at least some dinosaurs used a similar method. Ken This isn't a anthropology question at all, I suggest that the original poster locate a more appropriate group to discuss dinosaur iussues. I'm not familiar with all birds nesting habits, but afaik, only cold-blooded creatures bury their eggs to incubate them. A great number of dinosaurs are thought to have been warm-blooded, their eggs would probably have to stay in a tighter temperature range, so were probably set. > I'm not familiar with all birds nesting habits, but afaik, > only cold-blooded creatures bury their eggs to incubate them. Not so. The megapodes (Austalasian mound-building birds) bury their eggs -- Henry > > I'm not familiar with all birds nesting habits, but afaik, > > only cold-blooded creatures bury their eggs to incubate them. > > Not so. The megapodes (Australasian mound-building birds) bury their > eggs Indeed they do: http://www.malleefowlvictoria.org.au/ Ross Macfarlane >> I've heard people say that dinosaurs were warm blooded, >> or that some of them were, or possibly were, or whatever. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > generated from the rotting vegetable matter incubate the eggs. I wouldn't > be surprised to find that at least some dinosaurs used a similar method. Several examples exist of adults found on clutches of young. There was most likely a barrior of some sort between the adult and the eggs but they were certainly tending the nest and may have been thermal regulating in some manner. > Ken >>>I've heard people say that dinosaurs were warm blooded, >>>or that some of them were, or possibly were, or whatever. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > certainly tending the nest and may have been thermal regulating in some > manner. I'm not suggesting that dinosaurs abandoned their nests but I find it highly unlikely that sauropods and the other large dinosaurs directly thermoregulated their eggs. Ken >>>>I've heard people say that dinosaurs were warm blooded, >>>>or that some of them were, or possibly were, or whatever. [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > highly unlikely that sauropods and the other large dinosaurs directly > thermoregulated their eggs. What do you mean by directly? They could easily have used their bodies to shade the nests, dumped water on them, or added and removed decaying plant material or sand. Floping down on an egg would most likely have crushed it. > Ken >>>>>I've heard people say that dinosaurs were warm blooded, >>>>>or that some of them were, or possibly were, or whatever. [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > shade the nests, dumped water on them, or added and removed decaying plant > material or sand. Floping down on an egg would most likely have crushed it. I have no problem with anything suggested except for multi ton dinosaurs sitting on their eggs. Ken > "Ken Shaw" <none.of@your.biz> wrote in message > news:olznd.938826$Gx4.439669@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att. > net... This thread is offtopic in at least 2 groups it was foolishly crossposted too. watch your headers folks. > What do you mean by directly? Modern pythons brood their eggs directly. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Python_reticulat us.html While the eggs are developing females will coil around them and "shiver" producing muscle contractions which serve to increase the overall temperature of the eggs.  Signaturepete >I've heard people say that dinosaurs were warm blooded, >or that some of them were, or possibly were, or whatever. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >to turn the eggs regularly? Do some reptiles today need >to turn their eggs? There are certain lizard species that lay their eggs in circular patterns that are reminiscent of the way some bird species lay their eggs (these lizards also guard their eggs too). Offhand, though, I don't know of any that turn there eggs. I don't know if dinosaurs would have turned their eggs either. In most (all?) extant reptiles, the embryo attaches itself to a portion of the egg during the first ~24 hours after being laid. After that, the egg cannot be turned over for risk of crushing the embryo under the weight of the yolk. Birds have apparently lost this embryonic behaviour. Whether or not they lost it after they branched from the Dinosauria, or if it was acquired earlier on, is unknown. Jura |
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