Did tyrannosaurs eat dinosaurs? Scientists have discovered the last meal of a prehistoric animal for the first time
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In Canada, the remains of a young tyrannosaurus were discovered, in which the contents of the stomach were preserved. This gave scientists an idea of the diet of these animals.
About 75 million years ago, tyrannosaurs were among the largest individuals of dinosaurs – they had massive bodies, huge heads and teeth, according to a study by Canadian scientists published in Science Advances, writes The Guardian.
Young tyrannosaurs were much smaller than adults, had long legs, blade-like teeth, and narrow skulls.
According to scientists, adult tyrannosaurs hunted herbivorous dinosaurs. But the diet of young individuals was unknown.
| PHOTO: Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology |
However, the found fossil, which preserved the contents of the stomach of a young tyrannosaurus, gave a rare insight into its diet. Scientists discovered the remains of two one-year-old dinosaurs in it. They were like turkeys in size, their heads were like parrots, and their legs were like emu’s.
“This is really the first convincing evidence of what a young tyrannosaurus ate“, says Dr. Darla Zelenytska, co-author of the study.
Scientists found out that two animals were eaten during separate receptions. The fact that only the hind legs were among the remains shows that the young tyrannosaurus did not eat all of its prey, but only the meatiest part of it.
The fossil of a young tyrannosaurus “Gorgosaurus libratus”, which is about 75 million years old, was discovered in 2009 by Canadian technician Darren Tanke, who worked at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology. And in 2010, he noticed small bones sticking out of the chest of a tyrannosaurus.
The team of scientists notes that the young tyrannosaurus weighed about 350 kg and died young – at the age of 5-7 years.
Researchers are not yet sure exactly how the tyrannosaurus died, but it appears to have happened within a week of its last meal.
Paleontologist from the University of Edinburgh Stephen Brusatt claims that the fossil is direct evidence that the tyrannosaurus ate.
“This is not speculation, but actual evidence found in the gut of an animal. This is the last meal of a tyrannosaurus“, – he said.
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