 |
|
Why an Allosaurus's butt is worse than its bite
February 19, 2001At up to 12 metres long and weighing as much as two tonnes, the Allosaurus is recognised as having been one of the fiercest dinosaurs of the late Jurassic age. But its slender teeth and sometimes narrow jaw bone have left scientists puzzled as to how the Allosaurus managed to hunt prey successfully.
Emily Rayfield, of the University of Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences, has carried a detailed study of Allosaurus's skull to find out how ferocious those huge jaws actually were. Miss Rayfield used a new technique, employed more usually by engineers, called Finite Element Analysis, to build up a picture of how strong the Allosaurus skull was. Her results are published in Nature this week.
The technique involves first building a digital image of the structure to be tested. Miss Rayfield's team used a CAT scanner on an existing dinosaur fossil. She then calculated the elastic properties of the bone, by modelling it on modern cow bone, and worked out how much muscle would have covered the Allosaurus's head.
By estimating how hard those muscles could contract, Miss Rayfield was able to build up a picture of how powerful a bite the Allosaurus had. "We worked out that the strongest bite at a single tooth bite would probably have been in the region of 200 kgs in weight," explained Miss Rayfield. "That makes its bite about four times weaker than a Tyrannosaurus Rex, or an alligator.
"Our research also showed, however, that the Allosaurus had an extremely strong skull. So while its bite force was weak and its teeth were slender and narrow, the skull can withstand large impacts. It's possible that, rather than using its jaws to crunch bone as part of its feeding strategy, like T.Rex, it used its powerful neck muscles and strong skull to drive its teeth into its prey and tear off chunks of flesh. "Allosaurus may well have used this technique to capture lighter, more agile dinosaurs - but it could also have ambushed heavier dinosaurs using a hit and run-type strategy."
Cambridge, University of
By estimating how hard those muscles could contract, Miss Rayfield was able to build up a picture of how powerful a bite the Allosaurus had. "We worked out that the strongest bite at a single tooth bite would probably have been in the region of 200 kgs in weight," explained Miss Rayfield. "That makes its bite about four times weaker than a Tyrannosaurus Rex, or an alligator.
"Our research also showed, however, that the Allosaurus had an extremely strong skull. So while its bite force was weak and its teeth were slender and narrow, the skull can withstand large impacts. It's possible that, rather than using its jaws to crunch bone as part of its feeding strategy, like T.Rex, it used its powerful neck muscles and strong skull to drive its teeth into its prey and tear off chunks of flesh. "Allosaurus may well have used this technique to capture lighter, more agile dinosaurs - but it could also have ambushed heavier dinosaurs using a hit and run-type strategy."
Cambridge, University of
Dinosaur Current Events and Dinosaur News RSSWarm-blooded dinosaurs worked up a sweat
Were dinosaurs "warm-blooded" like present-day mammals and birds, or "cold-blooded" like present day lizards? The implications of this simple-sounding question go beyond deciding whether or not you'd snuggle up to a dinosaur on a cold winter's evening.
The last European hadrosaurs lived in the Iberian Peninsula
Spanish researchers have studied the fossil record of hadrosaurs, the so-called 'duck-billed' dinosaurs, in the Iberian Peninsula for the purpose of determining that they were the last of their kind to inhabit the European continent before disappearing during the K/T extinction event that occurred 65.5 million years ago.
The humble beginnings of a king
Tyrannosaurus rex and related large carnivorous dinosaurs together form the family Tyrannosauridae. A long forgotten fossil skull in the collections of the Natural History Museum in London has now provided crucial clues to the early stages of the lengthy evolutionary history of these fearsome predators.
New dinosaur species from Montana
A husband and wife team of American paleontologists has discovered a new species of dinosaur that lived 112 million years ago during the early Cretaceous of central Montana.
New analyses of dinosaur growth may wipe out one-third of species
Paleontologists from the University of California, Berkeley, and the Museum of the Rockies have wiped out two species of dome-headed dinosaur, one of them named three years ago - with great fanfare - after Hogwarts, the school attended by Harry Potter.
Do 3 meals a day keep fungi away?
The fact that they eat a lot - and often - may explain why most people and other mammals are protected from the majority of fungal pathogens, according to research from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.
Crushed bones reveal literal dino stomping ground
Imagine the gruesome sound of bones snapping as a thirsty, 30-ton dinosaur tramples a heap of fresh carcasses on his way to a rapidly shrinking lake.
Chinese and American paleontologists discover a new Mesozoic mammal
An international team of paleontologists has discovered a new species of mammal that lived 123 million years ago in what is now the Liaoning Province in northeastern China.
Archaeopteryx was not very bird-like
New research published this week clips the wings of Archaeopteryx. First found in Germany in the 1860's and dating to 150 million years ago, Archaeopteryx has long been considered the iconic first bird.
Inside the first bird, surprising signs of a dinosaur
The raptor-like Archaeopteryx has long been viewed as the archetypal first bird, but new research reveals that it was actually a lot less "bird-like" than scientists had believed.
More Dinosaur Current Events and Dinosaur News Articles
 |
Mattel SCREATURE Interactive Dinosaur by Mattel Your own prehistoric pal! Dare pet his head? More bite than roar! Can you master Screature, or will you be his prey? Lifelike and realistic with ferocious sounds, Screature uses an infrared sensor to sense and attack his prey with your help. If you can control Screature, he will respond loyally to your petting, but if you pet him in the wrong place, Screature attacks! Set him in room guard mode and Screaturewill guard all your prized treasures! Screature is a mean little predator with a big appetite. Try me, open tray package. 3x 'AA' batteries included, with minor assembly required. |
 |
Dozen Jumbo Dinosaurs up to 6 inches long by Toy C Set of 12 realistic toy dinosaur figures. Dinos are made from slightly flexible plastic, are hollow inside. Set includes: Ceratosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, Stegosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Tyrannosaurus, Spinosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Velociraptor, Apatosaurus, Euoplocephalus, Triceratops, Styracosaurus. |
 |
My Big Dinosaur Book (My Big Board Books) by Roger Priddy (Author) |
 |
ZipBin Dinosaur Playset by Neat Oh ZipBin is more than great-looking storage. It's a portable play world that unzips to reveal space to play, create and imagine. And it's easy to clean up... in a zip! The Dinosaur storage bin's dramatic exterior theme identifies the contents and will look great in your child's room. When the bin is unzipped, it becomes a dinosaur island play mat, complete with a colorful island, a volcano, and oozing tar pit and a mysterious cave. When play is done, the play mat becomes the storage bin in a zip, capturing the toys inside. Includes four dinosaurs: Tyrannosaurus Rex, Saurolophus, Triceratops, and Compsognathus, 4-5" long. ZipBin measures approximately 16" x 13" x 9". |
 |
Scientific Explorer's My First Dinosaur Science Kit by Scientific Explorer With My First Dino Kit, You're a real paleontologist! Use excavation tools to dig up a dinosaur skeleton and then classify and display your findings. Build a glow in the dark model, or grow and shrink some giant dinos, all while you learn about the prehistoric past. Did some dinosaurs have feathers? Are crocodiles as ancient as the dinosaurs? You'll find out. Ages 4+ adult supervision required. |
 |
Melissa & Doug Dinosaur Stamp Set by Melissa and Doug Mix and match the 8-9 playfully detailed stamps to create hundreds of beautiful scenes, and then color in the pictures with the 5 colored pencils! Each themed set includes 2 colored inkpads. Ages 4+. Each set 8.75" x 8" x 2". |
 |
How Do Dinosaurs Play With Their Friends by Jane Yolen (Author) What if a dinosaur's friends come to play? Does he mope, does he pout if he can't get his way? Does he hide all his dump trucks, refusing to share? Does he throw his friends' coloring books up in the air? Time and time again, children are told to "play nice." This brilliantly illustrated board book is packed with rhymes that will teach children how. Mark Teague's laugh-aloud illustrations, along with Jane Yolen's playful text, will show children that "playing nice" can be easy and fun. Perfect for parents to read aloud with their children, this book is as humorous as it is instructive. |
 |
Dinosaur Starring: D.B. Sweeney, Julianna Margulies, Samuel E. Wright, Alfre Woodard, Ossie Davis Directed By: Eric Leighton, Ralph Zondag Also With: Ralph Zondag (Writer), John Harrison (Writer), Rhett Reese (Writer), Robert Nelson Jacobs (Writer), Shirley Pierce (Writer), Tamara Lusher (Writer) Join the action-packed adventure of a group of dinosaurs overcoming enormous challenges through courage, loyalty, and hope in Disney's DINOSAUR, a special effects phenomenon! Set 65 million years ago, DINOSAUR tells the compelling story of an iguanodon named Aladar, who is separated from his own kind and raised by a clan of lemurs, including the wisecracking Zini and the compassionate Plio. When a devastating meteor shower plunges their world into chaos, Aladar and his family follow a herd of dinosaurs heading for the safety of the "nesting grounds." Along the way, Aladar befriends Baylene, the dignified, elderly brachiosaur with a take-no-prisoners attitude; Eema, the unstoppable styrachosaur; and Neera, a feisty fellow iguanodon. Together, they must stand strong amid food and water... |
 |
Fisher Price Spike Jr. by Fisher Price Meet Spike Jr.! The little dinosaur that comes bigger than life. He walks, laughs and roars at the touch of a button. |
 |
Animal Planet's Big Tub of Dinosaurs by Hasbro It |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |