     | september 8, 2010
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| september 8, 2010
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Check out my amargasaurus Nick Frankfurt -- 06/05/2008  This is a drawing of Amargasaurus, a dinosaur discovered in 1991 in Argentina. Its remains were found in the La Amargo Arroyo in the province of Neuquen by a geologist named Luis Cazau, while he was prospecting for an oil company. Amargasaurus was not a giant among the dinosaurs, reaching just 10 meters in length, and perhaps 6-8 feet at its hips. Amargasaurus is most reknowned for the two rows of long spines that protrude along its back. Paleontologists debate what the purpose of these structures might be. Some suggest that the spines were used for defense, while others think that the structures played a role in courtship displays. Perhaps the most compelling theory involves temperature regulation. Among some animals, the more skin that is directly exposed to sunlight, the more easily that animal can raise its body temperature. These spines may have been covered by sheets of skin that could absorb the sun's warming rays, not unlike a series of solar panels. For reptiles, which are cold-blooded, the ability to increase body temperature is of great importance. While we do not know if Amargasaurus was definitively cold-blooded, warm-blooded (like mammals and birds), or something in between, these spines may have played a vital role in the regulation of its metabolic activity. In this drawing, Amargasaurus is browsing on the stiff needles of Auracaria trees. Walking on Eggs (Simon and Schuster, 2001); graphite on illustration board, 20 by 30 inches  end of page 1 [ 1 ] |
