AzurePhoenix

Found it, scorpians predated the first herps by over 100 million years, still lookin' for Jobaria.... okay, jobaria (the perfect sauropod) may have survived as a species as long as 50 million years, and the average species survives for nine million. Homo hasn't been around for nearly that long, so if your worried, mellow out, we still got some time. Event he shortest lived survive around a million years, in which case, we're still young adults, relishing in our twenties.

Dinosaurs first sprang up about 230 million years ago I believe. Only one species I've heard about survived for longer than one of it's three periods (Jobaria, I believe, a primitive sauropod) Dinos were predated by the first known reptiles by 70 million years. Before them were amphibeans, and before them, insects, before them, scorpians, I think. The oldest homo sapian fossils are between 190 and 200 thousand years old (http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/050216_oldest_humans.html) Erect hominids on the other hand, have recently been found to have existed around 3.8 million years ago (our ancestors probably, or close to um') (http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/03/05/ethiopia.hominid.ap/) I believe the typical lifespan for a specific species is between five and ten million years. I'll see if I can find a link. Jobaria may have survived ten times that, I'll have to check. It seems like dinos lived along time because there were hundreds of known species. It's like saying "mammals have been around for over three hundred million year!!" But almost never the same species for very long

hmmmmm

Here are links, each one is a different style, to suit your preference http://www.biology.eku.edu/RITCHISO/birdrespiration.html http://w3.dwm.ks.edu.tw/bio/activelearner/44/ch44c7.html and http://pharyngula.org/~pzmyers/MyersLab/teaching/Bi104/l07/birdlungs.html

You haven't seen an avian lung? It's amazingly efficient compared to ours. I'll find a good link to show you. Basically, i'ts got like ten extra air sacks, so when the bird exhales, air automatically flows into the lung, so air is always being absorbed, while used air is shunted to different sacks to be expelled. But for a dragon, i also have to incorporate their "dragon heart" the magic/plasma chamber, make the lungs larger comparatively to make up for the greater relative mass, and find a way to fit it into a totally different body plan.

it is, but its friggin' frustrating. Have you ever had to draw an avian respiratory system augmented for optimum use by a giant aerial lizard? Very stressful. Especially now that i have to draw a complete anatomical image which inlcudes the circulatory and digestive systems, the skeleton, and the purely draconic organs.

Right now I'm just saying it's "Dragon Ivory" a remarkalby resiliant substance, but much lighter than bone, and very flexible. It bonds easily with metals, minerals and other compounds (hence metallic dragons). Heals very quickly, and also make up the base structure of scales (living, not dead like those of reptiles) barbs, horns, teeth, and talons. I was hopeful about carbon tubes because of their newfanlged properties, and them being carobn and all. No worries, I'll just say it's some mystical element. Thanx for all's ya's help!

Well, this is background anatomy for the realms basic draconic species. I'm looking for the perfect bones for a huge flying predator.

That's good enough for me, you don't exactly need perfect data when it comes to fiction-writing. Hmmmm, lightweight, flexible, stronger than bone or steel..... any compounds spring to mind? And also, thanks again *hug*

Name - Kay Age - 18 (19 in may) Present? - Hairs are absent, all over, including fingers. Sex - As female as they get People laugh when I say that I think a jellyfish is one of the most beautiful things in the world. What they don't understand is, I mean a jellyfish with long, blond hair. Jack Handey

As it is, I'm forever endebted

I see, well, no worry, one magical aspect I'm giving most is a remarkably high tolerance of heat.... course, it's not the heat that's a threat when a hydrogen balloon the size of a cow is erupting within your chest, is it? Crap....

Does any one know how much a certain volume of nanotubes (single or multi-walled will do) would weigh, as well as an equivalent volume of mammalian skeletal calcium? Which is "stronger," and which has greater flexibility?

ahh, how'd I miss that, I swear I read it....

a bubble of what?

Ah Ha!! And as I guessed, my hypothesis could not have been further from the truth. My deepest thanks, Cap'n

Hey, I came across this game on FetchFido, and was wondering if any of you guys could tell me how they pull it off. I feel like the answer is looking me right in the face, then I realize I'm deluding myself into thinking I'm smarter than I actually am. Play the game and my ramblings might make sense. http://www.fetchfido.co.uk/games/voodoo_curse/voodoo_curse.htm

nope, but they're well insulated. Besides, when confronting a pissed Kulshedra dragon, the last thing you need to worry about is a bit of inlfamed hydrogen.

No prob dude. Now pay up

Flores Brain Links http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1109976609089&call_pageid=970599119419 http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orl-lochobbit13031305mar13,1,5531372.story?coll=orl-news-headlines&ctrack=1&cset=true and http://www.livescience.com/imageoftheday/siod_050304.html (this one has good image) And here are first erect hominid links http://thebosh.com/archives/2005/03/scientists_find.php http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-03-10-voa64.cfm and http://xtramsn.co.nz/news/0,,11965-4176199,00.html

Kay, I'm trying to design the base anatomy for the average dragon, as anatomically correct as possible, but not enough to interfere with the mystical components. I mean, you try to design a flight-capable two hundred foot lizard (the very biggest of teh big, the average is between forty five and seventy feet, still pretty huge). So far I've had to replace calcium bones with totally-scifi honey-combed bones of a strong but light-weight and flexible material currently referred to as "Dragon-ivory." Also, the honey-comb pockets are filled wth hydrogen to further reduce weight. I'm not sure if I should have a hydrogen flight bladder or not. Does anyone have any ideas whatsoever, who won't sue me for using them? Thank the gods and goats I'm in the company of science and myth fans. I'm so relieved.

Will you promise not to laugh? It's very stupid, but keep in mind, in addition to the sciences, I'm really into mythology, and all pride aside, I can be a durn good writer when I need to, and at the moment, I'm trying to write a novel. Problem is, in the novel I'm attempting to write, I like to blend the scientific with the magical, even if only in tiny amounts. Promise not to laugh, and I'll tell you my goal. I have several other threads that relate to this same sorta thing.

that sounds awesome!! Plus there's that new unnamed, fully erect protohuman dating before Austrapithicus (sp?). P.S. Still searching for te science source, no luck, will a article do?

I'll see if I can't dig up my source for the brain scan, I had a valid sciency one, but I might only be able to find news articles - I lost all my 'favorite files' a while back, can't find crap

Is their an average as to the average percentage of a lizard's weight is bone? Boy, that's an awkward sentence ... anyway, something like a Komodo Dragon, or an alligator (I know, not a lizard, duh ) would help. Mokele, my hopes are resting with you, Buddy!!