Taming the T-rex

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Taming the T-rexAnd other dinosaurs

• CHALLENGING EARTH HISTORY Part II
• The Data
• Elaine Kennedy, Ph.D.
• Geoscience Research Institute
• http//www.grisda.org

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Dinosaur Database

• BONES
• SKULLS
• SKIN IMPRESSIONS
• TRACKS DUNG
• EGGS BABIES
• DEATH ASSEMBLAGES

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Data Bones

• Fragments Structure
• Skeletal Fragments
• Muscle Attachment Scars
• Size Comparisons
• DNA?

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Data Bone Fragments

• Jumbled bone beds
• Isolated skeletal features
• Ankle bone
• Hip structure
• Muscle attachment
• scars
• Tendons

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Data Skeletons

• Chasmosaurus
• Nearly Complete Skeletons
• Muscle Attachment Scars
• Size Comparisons

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Data Wide Variety within Families

• Zuniceratops Triceratops
  

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Data Large Small

• Hadrosaur Deinonychus
• Height to a giraffe to a German
  shepard

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Interpretation Males vs Females?

• Length of chevrons
• at base of tail
• Interpretation
• Stegosaurus male?
• Length of chevrons
• at base of tail
• Interpretation
• Rhabdodon female?

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Data Structural Comparisons

• Researchers compare femurs
• From left (not to scale)
• Probactrosaurus
• Chasmosaurus
• Cervical vertebral features
• Psittacosaurus
• Camarasaurus

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DATA SKULLS

• Tarbosaurus bataar Zuniceratops
• Lobes of the Brain
• Internal cast of the brain case sight (optic),
  hearing (otic) sense of smell (olfactory)
• Teeth
• Structure suggests diet

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Data Skulls

• Allosaurus skull
• Muscle Attachment Scars on Jaws

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Data Skin Impressions

• Corythosaurus
• Skin impression (mold)
• Associated skeleton
• Dinosaur embryo
• Associated bone fragments
• Skin impression?
• Precipitate?
• Animation and color adjustment by E Kennedy with
  permission from Natural History Museum of Los
  Angeles County, which is not responsible for any
  interpretation of its exhibits on this web site

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Data Dinosaur Tracks

• Tracks made by dinosaurs
• Tracks found in water-laid deposits
• Human tracks not found with dinosaur tracks

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Data Dung

• Rock does not match associated sediment
• Petrified woody tissue burrows
• Dung beetle burrows?

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Data Montana Hadrosaur Baby Egg

• Maiasaura
• Arrows indicate large eggshell fragments

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Data Death Assemblages

• Coelophysis
• Preservation state
• Entombing sediments

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Part II Summary

• The data base for dinosaurs includes
• 1.Skeletons to bone fragments from which
  structural information can be surmised.
• 2.Skin impressions provide information about
  appearance.
• 3.Tracks and possible dung indicate the animals
  really lived and moved over the earth.
• 4.Eggs and possible nests suggest breeding
  activities, and
• 5.Death assemblages found worldwide occur in
  water-laid deposits.