Wyenberg-Henzler et al / PeerJ
Left lateral view of the skull
A new analysis of a fossil discovered in 2005 revealed the presence of a piece of a T-Rex tooth in the skull of a duck-billed dinosaur, which indicates that this attack was the cause of death.
A fossil discovered in Montana is giving scientists a rare glimpse of a violent encounter between two dinosaurs who lived about 66 million years ago.
The skull of a duck-billed dinosaur, Edmontosaurus, was found with the broken tip of a T-Rex tooth embedded in it.
The fossil was originally discovered in 2005 in the Hell Creek Formation, a famous Late Cretaceous fossil site that has revealed many dinosaur remains. Researchers from the University of Alberta and the Museum of the Rockies recently re-examined the specimen and their findings in the journal PeerJ.
According to lead researcher Tatiana Wyenberg-Henzler, teeth embedded in dinosaur fossils are extremely rare. Bite marks on bones are relatively common, but a tooth still lodged in the skeleton provides much clearer evidence of what happened. “This allows us to identify not only who was bitten, but also who bit“he explains.
To investigate the case, the research team analyzed the Edmontosaurus skull using computed tomography and closely studied the shape of the broken tooth fragment. They then compared them with the teeth of carnivorous dinosaurs known to have lived in the same region. The analysis confirmed that the tooth belonged to a Tyrannosaurus.
The fragment probably came from central part of the predator’s jaw and was driven deep into the front of Edmontosaurus’s skull with considerable force. It is important to note that the surrounding bone does not show signs of healing. This suggests that the injury occurred at the time of death or shortly after, refers to .
Scientists cannot say for sure whether the T-Rex killed the Edmontosaurus or simply bit the carcass while feeding. However, the position of the bite provides clues. The tooth is embedded in the dinosaur’s snout, indicating that the two animals were probably face to face during the attacka signal that is more typical of active predation.
“The amount of force required to break a tooth and leave it stuck in the bone suggests a powerful, potentially fatal bite”, disse Wyenberg-Henzler.
The discovery also contributes to a long debate about the behavior of the T-Rex. Some researchers argue that the enormous predator may have been mostly scavengers, while others consider it an active hunter. Most scientists now believe that probably did bothjust like modern carnivores.
The researchers note that the T-Rex’s skull and jaw structure may have allowed it to bite the face or snout of its prey, potentially suffocating them in a similar way to modern wild dogs. The newly studied fossil fits into this scenario.
