Researchers unravel the secret of dinosaur nutrition!

Researchers unravel the secret of dinosaur nutrition!

An international research team has studied the lifestyle of giant dinosaurs in the Jurassic period and gained groundbreaking insights. Under the direction of Dr. Daniela E. Winkler from the University of Kiel, Dr. Emanuel Tschopp from the Free University of Berlin and André Saleiro from the University of NOVA Lisbon, the team analyzed the wear of teeth in various sauropods. This study, based on the Dental Microwear Texture Analysis (DMTA) method, brings new perspectives on the diet and behavior of these impressive prehistoric creatures.

DMTA, originally developed for mammals, has now been systematically used in sauropods for the first time. A total of 322 high-resolution 3D scans of tooth surfaces from three important dinosaur sites - the Lourinhã Formation in Portugal, the Morrison Formation in the USA and the Tendaguru Formation in Tanzania - were analyzed. The samples included 39 teeth, obtained either directly from fossils or as silicone impressions. These signs of wear show what the animals ate in the last days or weeks of their lives. Significant differences in wear patterns were found between different sauropod groups and regions.

Results and findings

The results of the study are complex. For example, flagellic audates such as Diplodocus show great variability in their wear patterns, indicating changing food sources. In contrast, camarasaurs from Portugal and the USA show very uniform wear marks. This suggests that these animals carried out seasonal migrations for food. Titanosauriforms from Tanzania, on the other hand, show stronger and more complex wear patterns caused by the tropical to semi-arid climate conditions and sandy plants of their environment. These teeth are more worn than those from other regions, identifying the climate factor as a key influence.

The study also shows that ecological principles such as niche formation and migration behavior were also important 150 million years ago. The researchers plan to conduct future studies to explore differences in diet between juveniles and adults, as well as adaptations in dwarf forms. Its goal is to expand the understanding of paleoecological relationships and biodiversity research. The original publication of this research is announced in the journal “Nature Ecology and Evolution”, which underlines the relevance of the work.

Importance of Tooth Microchange Analysis

The DMTA is not only dedicated to the study of sauropods. It has also been used successfully to analyze the feeding habits of theropods such as Allosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex. A study conducted by the University of Tokyo in collaboration with the University of Mainz and the University of Hamburg used this method to examine 48 teeth, including 34 from theropods and 14 from crocodiles. Analysis of scratching patterns revealed little evidence of bone crushing in the theropods studied, suggesting alternative diets or particularly well-preserved teeth.

There were also differences between juvenile and adult dinosaurs: Juvenile dinosaurs had more tooth wear, suggesting more frequent carrion eating. It is also interesting that the DMTA could help to reconstruct the diet of extinct animals and their ecosystems, which is of great importance for understanding evolutionary development. The method could be applied to future studies of long-necked sauropods and even mouth wear in insects.

In summary, the diverse research on dinosaur diet, spanning various species of herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs, paints a complex picture of the lifestyles of these animals. Using coprolites, the fossilized excrement, scientists were able to draw conclusions about feeding behavior and thus learn more about the environmental influences of the respective eras. Dinosaurs lived differently - as herbivores, carnivores, piscivores or omnivores - which underlines their ability to adapt to different habitats and food sources. Deeper analysis of tooth shapes and wear plays a central role in this research and opens new horizons for paleontology.