|
Claws
Jan 24, 2008 16:02:29 GMT
Post by gleep on Jan 24, 2008 16:02:29 GMT
Ok, i hope your ready for my next question.
Dragons are portrayed to have big ferousious Claws but what were there sole uses.
Claws would obviously be handy in a fight or to kill prey but dragons also had flying abilities, Large teeth and of course fire so I can't imagine they would use their claws that often for that purpose. Another idea would be to grab prey from the ground to either drop from a large height to kill or to take to Dragons Lair(similar to how birds of prey sometimes kill their prey) but again I can't imagine this being done that often as their other killing devices were so effective.
Claws could also be used for digging holes but again I can't imagine this would be done that often.
Also as brakes for landing after flying buit as dragons are generally percieved to have flapping wings!! then this probably wouldn't be the case either. Although i do believe that some dragons glided in which case this theory would work.
So this brings me to my main question, Why the large Claws!!!!
What do you lot think!!
|
|
boz
Elder Dragon
Posts: 478
|
Claws
Jan 24, 2008 18:11:29 GMT
Post by boz on Jan 24, 2008 18:11:29 GMT
fighting and eating i think
my ? is would they be like lions retractable i think they would
|
|
|
Claws
Jan 28, 2008 18:40:01 GMT
Post by DiamondTear on Jan 28, 2008 18:40:01 GMT
To protect the end of their toes and maybe to scratch, hehe, plus to use against prey and to carry it to their young.
|
|
|
Claws
Jan 29, 2008 17:03:10 GMT
Post by Lex on Jan 29, 2008 17:03:10 GMT
Well i believe that the dragon would have had a very bizzarre evolutionary process.
The obvious answer is the dragon being a predator would have used its claws as a tool to hunt prey.
A more specific answer would be to grapple. Perhaps while the dragon was evolving from what ever creature it once was (for this example we will use the Archillobator which is like a large velociraptor) it would have newly grown and under developed wings. These wings combined with the chemical process would eventually lead to flight. But in the Archillobators earlier years these wings would have allowed it to glide at best.
So perhaps when chasing prey it would have jumped, glided towards the victim and latched on with its tough front claws. Its hind legs and large gaping mouth would then deliver a swift death.
Thats my idea anyway.
|
|
boz
Elder Dragon
Posts: 478
|
Claws
Jan 29, 2008 17:19:02 GMT
Post by boz on Jan 29, 2008 17:19:02 GMT
sounds goog but i think the claws would retract to allow walking
|
|
|
Claws
Jan 29, 2008 20:25:01 GMT
Post by DiamondTear on Jan 29, 2008 20:25:01 GMT
I don't think they would be retractable in the ways a big cats would, as that goes back into the flesh, where as I don't think any lizards or dinosaurs have that, but some dinosaurs did have 'retractable' claws in the way that one toe was sort of bent back, so that when they attacked it could snap into place so it would be very sharp.
|
|
|
Claws
Feb 10, 2008 11:59:32 GMT
Post by Amy on Feb 10, 2008 11:59:32 GMT
Good for ripping up flesh! ;D
|
|
|
Claws
Feb 13, 2008 20:18:55 GMT
Post by Tali on Feb 13, 2008 20:18:55 GMT
I think we're looking at this backwards. Why not have claws? They have so many advantages - digging, climbing, gripping, tearing, holding something so it can be ripped by pulling with the teeth, perching on branches or unstable ground like the talons on birds, as a weapon... Now the thing is that any trait requires energy on the mother's and baby's parts to produce, and therefore it must be evolutionarily advantageous to be kept, but it doesn't have to be such a strong advantage as a new trait that is just spreading in a population. What I'm saying here is that if dragons evolved from a dinosaur with claws then it wouldn't need to be a matter of life and death for every individual dragon, if claws are generally useful then they'll keep them. In fact there are lots of evolutionary hangovers or lags where something really isn't useful anymore but stays because there isn't any selection against it, that is, they aren't disadvantageous so they take time to disappear. Anyone know what the appendix in a human is for? I'm afraid I don't know enough about aliens to talk about why they'd have claws if they come from another planet though!
|
|
|
Claws
Feb 16, 2008 10:40:55 GMT
Post by Lex on Feb 16, 2008 10:40:55 GMT
All good points Tali.
My only quandry at the moment is i am still figuring out why, a dragon evolved from a Dromaeosoridae, would have four or five claws of roughly rwual size where as all of the Dromaeosaurids had 3 front digits with the middle one being immensly large.
Currently i am thinking along the lines of flight. If a dragon were to fly it would have to be, in some respects aerodynamic and therefore the large digit would become a nusance.
|
|
|
Claws
Mar 5, 2008 23:52:48 GMT
Post by Amy on Mar 5, 2008 23:52:48 GMT
Well it could be different paths, horses etc have evolved feet to just one finger Nail if you can see it that way they don't need anything else. We have evolved and have 5 digits on each hand and we use them alot!! So i guess Dragons could have just grow more ;D
|
|
|
Claws
Mar 6, 2008 21:07:08 GMT
Post by Tali on Mar 6, 2008 21:07:08 GMT
Currently i am thinking along the lines of flight. If a dragon were to fly it would have to be, in some respects aerodynamic and therefore the large digit would become a nusance. If they evolved from Dromaeosaurids it occurs to me that flight may be the key factor in the change, but not in terms of aerodynamics. I don't think the shape of the tarsi/feet would make much difference to aerodynamics and a lot of flying creatures lift their legs close to their body when flying so reduce air resistance anyway. However, a shared quality of flying creatures is that they perch - on branches, rocks, ledges on a cliff etc - which may require a different tarsus structure. Also, I imagine that the Dromaeosaurids large digit might make landing difficult, unless they were able to lift it so they could land cleanly on the base/heel of the foot. I might be talking out of my derriere though
|
|
boz
Elder Dragon
Posts: 478
|
Claws
Mar 8, 2008 22:18:01 GMT
Post by boz on Mar 8, 2008 22:18:01 GMT
but its a nice derriere
|
|