This peer review discussion has been closed.
I've listed this article for peer review because I'd like to get it cleaned up as much as possible prior to a
featured article nomination. I believe the article is currently comprehensive and well-sourced, but I'm sure there are at least a few minor things that should be fixed first, and a few more pairs of eyes might help in catching this.
Thanks, FanCollector ( talk) 04:44, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
Okay, here I go. I'll do the lead last, after I've read through the rest of the article.
Description:
Despite its massive size, the overall physical appearance of Deinosuchus was not considerably different from that of modern crocodilians. [1] Deinosuchus had an alligator-like broad snout, with a slightly bulbous tip. [1] Each premaxilla contained four teeth, with the pair nearest to the tip of the snout being significantly smaller than the other two. [2] Each maxilla (the main tooth-bearing bone in the upper jaw) contained 21 or 22 teeth. [3] The tooth count for each dentary (tooth-bearing bone in the lower jaw) was approximately 22. [2] All of the teeth were very thick and robust; those close to the rear of the jaws were short, rounded, and blunt. [4] They appear to have been adapted for crushing, rather than piercing. [4] When the mouth was closed, only the fourth tooth of the lower jaw would have been visible. [2]
The bite force of Deinosuchus has been estimated to exceed 18,000 newtons. [1] In contrast, modern American alligators, with the strongest bite of any living animal, top out at 9,452 newtons. [5] Even the largest and strongest theropod dinosaurs, such as Tyrannosaurus, probably had a bite force inferior to that of Deinosuchus. [5]
Deinosuchus had a secondary bony palate, which would have permitted it to breathe through its nostrils while the rest of the head remained submerged underwater. [6] The vertebrae were articulated in a procoelous manner, meaning that they had a concave hollow on the front end and a convex bulge on the rear; these would have fit together to produce a ball and socket joint. [7] [8] The secondary palate and procoelous vertebrae are advanced features also found in modern eusuchian crocodilians. [6] [9]
The osteoderms (scutes) covering the back of Deinosuchus were unusually large, heavy, and deeply pitted; some were of a roughly semispherical shape. [10] [11] Deep pits and grooves on these osteoderms served as attachment points for connective tissues. [11] Together, the osteoderms and connective tissues would have served as load-bearing reinforcement to support the massive body of Deinosuchus out of water. [11] [3] Consequently, despite its bulk, Deinosuchus was probably almost as agile on land as its modern relatives. [3] [6]
Will be back shortly for the next section. J. Spencer ( talk) 02:52, 15 January 2009 (UTC)
Paleobiology:
Will review the "Discovery and classification" and the lead tomorrow. J. Spencer ( talk) 03:57, 15 January 2009 (UTC)
Back on:
"Deinosuchus fossils have been found in ten U.S. states, as well as northern Mexico. It lived on both sides of the Western Interior Seaway, and was an opportunistic apex predator in the coastal regions of eastern North America. Deinosuchus reached its largest size in its western habitat, but the eastern populations were far more abundant. Opinion remains divided as to whether these two populations represent separate species. Deinosuchus was probably capable of killing and eating large dinosaurs. It may have also fed upon sea turtles, fish, and other aquatic and terrestrial prey."
Anyway, I will sleep on this article and run through it again, to see if I missed something. I found it to be of high quality, and would have had no trouble passing it through GA as-is. I haven't been through an FAC as a primary editor in over a year, so I don't know how/if it is now different, but I think that this article compares favorably with dinosaur FAs of similar length ( Lambeosaurus, Psittacosaurus, Styracosaurus), especially considering that Deinosuchus is not known from fossils with the same degree of completeness. J. Spencer ( talk) 05:37, 16 January 2009 (UTC)
Here's a couple more thought on the taxonomy:
This will explain why it's included in the taxobox. J. Spencer ( talk) 01:34, 18 January 2009 (UTC)
After another look:
OK, looks promising :) ...I'll jot some queries below. Anything striaghtforward I amy just tweak. Casliber ( talk · contribs) 02:32, 23 January 2009 (UTC)
{{
cite journal}}
: External link in |title=
(
help)
This peer review discussion has been closed.
I've listed this article for peer review because I'd like to get it cleaned up as much as possible prior to a
featured article nomination. I believe the article is currently comprehensive and well-sourced, but I'm sure there are at least a few minor things that should be fixed first, and a few more pairs of eyes might help in catching this.
Thanks, FanCollector ( talk) 04:44, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
Okay, here I go. I'll do the lead last, after I've read through the rest of the article.
Description:
Despite its massive size, the overall physical appearance of Deinosuchus was not considerably different from that of modern crocodilians. [1] Deinosuchus had an alligator-like broad snout, with a slightly bulbous tip. [1] Each premaxilla contained four teeth, with the pair nearest to the tip of the snout being significantly smaller than the other two. [2] Each maxilla (the main tooth-bearing bone in the upper jaw) contained 21 or 22 teeth. [3] The tooth count for each dentary (tooth-bearing bone in the lower jaw) was approximately 22. [2] All of the teeth were very thick and robust; those close to the rear of the jaws were short, rounded, and blunt. [4] They appear to have been adapted for crushing, rather than piercing. [4] When the mouth was closed, only the fourth tooth of the lower jaw would have been visible. [2]
The bite force of Deinosuchus has been estimated to exceed 18,000 newtons. [1] In contrast, modern American alligators, with the strongest bite of any living animal, top out at 9,452 newtons. [5] Even the largest and strongest theropod dinosaurs, such as Tyrannosaurus, probably had a bite force inferior to that of Deinosuchus. [5]
Deinosuchus had a secondary bony palate, which would have permitted it to breathe through its nostrils while the rest of the head remained submerged underwater. [6] The vertebrae were articulated in a procoelous manner, meaning that they had a concave hollow on the front end and a convex bulge on the rear; these would have fit together to produce a ball and socket joint. [7] [8] The secondary palate and procoelous vertebrae are advanced features also found in modern eusuchian crocodilians. [6] [9]
The osteoderms (scutes) covering the back of Deinosuchus were unusually large, heavy, and deeply pitted; some were of a roughly semispherical shape. [10] [11] Deep pits and grooves on these osteoderms served as attachment points for connective tissues. [11] Together, the osteoderms and connective tissues would have served as load-bearing reinforcement to support the massive body of Deinosuchus out of water. [11] [3] Consequently, despite its bulk, Deinosuchus was probably almost as agile on land as its modern relatives. [3] [6]
Will be back shortly for the next section. J. Spencer ( talk) 02:52, 15 January 2009 (UTC)
Paleobiology:
Will review the "Discovery and classification" and the lead tomorrow. J. Spencer ( talk) 03:57, 15 January 2009 (UTC)
Back on:
"Deinosuchus fossils have been found in ten U.S. states, as well as northern Mexico. It lived on both sides of the Western Interior Seaway, and was an opportunistic apex predator in the coastal regions of eastern North America. Deinosuchus reached its largest size in its western habitat, but the eastern populations were far more abundant. Opinion remains divided as to whether these two populations represent separate species. Deinosuchus was probably capable of killing and eating large dinosaurs. It may have also fed upon sea turtles, fish, and other aquatic and terrestrial prey."
Anyway, I will sleep on this article and run through it again, to see if I missed something. I found it to be of high quality, and would have had no trouble passing it through GA as-is. I haven't been through an FAC as a primary editor in over a year, so I don't know how/if it is now different, but I think that this article compares favorably with dinosaur FAs of similar length ( Lambeosaurus, Psittacosaurus, Styracosaurus), especially considering that Deinosuchus is not known from fossils with the same degree of completeness. J. Spencer ( talk) 05:37, 16 January 2009 (UTC)
Here's a couple more thought on the taxonomy:
This will explain why it's included in the taxobox. J. Spencer ( talk) 01:34, 18 January 2009 (UTC)
After another look:
OK, looks promising :) ...I'll jot some queries below. Anything striaghtforward I amy just tweak. Casliber ( talk · contribs) 02:32, 23 January 2009 (UTC)
{{
cite journal}}
: External link in |title=
(
help)