Prehistoric Animals

[Desdichado]

Smilodon fatalis is always a favorite... and Archaeopteryx... Dimetrodon, though that might qualify as a dinosaur...

Dimetrodon isn't closely related at all to dinosaurs, nor did it live anywhere in time near the dinosaurs. Although, ironically, Archeopteryx lithographica most definitely is one.

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

Is it? I wasn't sure if that was the same creature, or simply two birds that were closely related. Dang it, that is disappointing. I mean, I understand the nomenclature rules, but crap -- once something's been out there for decades and decades, there really oughtta be some kind of consideration for that...

Yeah...I was a little brought down by the news, too. Sometime back I was doing a search for the "Florida terror bird" (Titanis) and that 'lil tidbit popped up.

 

[Heretic Apostate]

Since my knowledge of dinosaurs and prehistoric mammals comes mostly from the big names, from the Jurassic Park trilogy, from the Walking with... series (and several of the better look-alikes), I'm going to keep my trap shut.

Frostburn has the prehistorics, huh? Can't wait to see it...

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

Is Argentinosaurus still the biggest?

Not sure about Argentinosaurus, but they recently chopped about 30 feet off the length of Seismosaurus, based on a new study of the fossil vertebrae. I think now they're saying it's about 110 feet, as opposed to the 140 to 160 they initially said.

Still...that's damn big.

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

Slap some of these critters on your players:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dinosaurs/chronology/seamonsters/index.shtml

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

I love these things:
http://www.isgs.uiuc.edu/dinos/de_4/5c5e318.htm

 

[BOZ]

thanks. i've got a huge list to whittle down.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Which of these have been statted up and where?

Conan has some saber-toothes in it and I'd love to spring some other anachronistic exotics to give the 'A long time ago and far far away' feel to it.

But I don't know anything about desert creatures during these periods. Those as I recall some of the ostritch-like predator birds were close to tropical, yes?

 

[Algolei]

I always think of prehistoric flightless birds. Love the AD&D axebeak.

On a side note, it would be great if someone came up with non-scientific names for these critters ("Terror Bird" isn't bad). It never seemed right to me that adventurers ambushed in the middle of the night would leap from their bedrolls crying, "Look out! Gastornii Geiselensis!"

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

I always think of prehistoric flightless birds. Love the AD&D axebeak.

On a side note, it would be great if someone came up with non-scientific names for these critters ("Terror Bird" isn't bad). It never seemed right to me that adventurers ambushed in the middle of the night would leap from their bedrolls crying, "Look out! Gastornii Geiselensis!"

Eberron did a good job with that