In our a hundred and twentieth episode, we had the pleasure of talking with Bruce Schumacher, the South Zone Paleontologist for the US Forest Service.
Episode 120 can also be about Daspletosaurus, a tyrannosaurid that lived within the Cretaceous in North America.
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On this episode, we talk about:
Within the information:
The dinosaur of the day: Daspletosaurus
- Title means “frightful lizard”
- Tyrannosaurid that lived within the Cretaceous in what’s now western North America
- Just one named species: Daspletosaurus torosus
- Species title means “muscular” or “brawny” in Latin
- Present in Alberta, and different potential species (that also should be described) have been present in Alberta and Montana
- Found in 1921 in Alberta by Charles Mortram Sterberg (thought it was a brand new Gorgosaurus species)
- Absolutely described in 1970 by Dale Russell, who named it Daspletosaurus
- Kind specimen is a partial skeleton that features the cranium, shoulder, one forelimb, pelvis, femur, vertebrae from the neck, torso, hip, and a few tail vertebrae
- One other specimen was present in 2001
- There are 2-3 extra species, although they haven’t been named or correctly described
- Russell additionally labeled a specimen Barnum Brown present in 1913 as Daspletosaurus (present in Alberta, discovered elements of the hindleg, pelvis, and a few vertebrae).
- Brown had additionally discovered an almost full cranium in 1914, and 40 years later the AMNH offered it to the Area Museum of Pure Historical past in Chicago. It was labeled Albertosaurus libratus, however ultimately reassigned to Daspletosaurus
- Eight specimens have been present in Alberta, in Dinosaur Park Formation, and could also be new species of Daspletosaurus (primarily based on variations within the skulls)
- In 2001 a partial skeleton was present in Two Medication in Montana, and assigned to Daspletosaurus (although not a selected species)
- Three different specimens have discovered present in Two Medication, and are Daspletosaurus (although not but assigned a species)
- Seven recognized Daspletosaurus torosus specimens
- Carefully associated to Tyrannosaurus
- Within the subfamily Tyrannosaurinae, together with Tarbosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, and Alioramus (extra intently associated to T-rex than to Albertosaurus)
- 10 million years older than T-rex
- Typically thought of to be a direct ancestor to T-rex, by anagensis (one species evolves into one other by evolutionary adjustments inside a lineage).
- Gregory Paul reclassified Daspletosaurus torosus to Tyrannosaurus torosus, however most individuals don’t settle for this
- Some folks suppose Tarbosaurus and Tyrannosaurus are sister taxa or the identical genus, and Daspletosaurus is a extra basal relative
- One younger Daspletosaurus specimen present in Alberta has chunk marks on its face from one other tyrannosaur. Chunk marks healed
- One other Daspletosaurus, an grownup from Alberta, has tyrannosaur chunk marks on its face
- Bites could have been from different species or from different Daspletosaurus
- In 2009, a examine discovered proof of an an infection much like Trichomonas gallinae in just a few Daspletosaurus jaws, in all probability unfold due to biting one another or consuming animals that had been contaminated
- Healed chunk marks could present it wasn’t meant to be deadly and was a part of interacting (somebody asserting dominance) or marks could have been from an infection
- One Daspletosaurus specimen had postmortem bites from a big theropod, presumably a Daspletosaurus (would have been cannibalism)
- Daspletosaurus had small forelimbs, although they had been nonetheless proportionately longer than different tyrannosaurs
- As much as 26-30 ft (8-9 m) lengthy, and weighing between 1.8-3.8 tons
- Had a big cranium, about 3.3 ft (1 m) lengthy
- Had heavy bones, and a few bones (such because the nasal bones) had been fused so that they’d be stronger (however did have openings within the cranium to scale back weight)
- Had crests round its eyes
- Had tall oval eyesockets
- Had an S-shaped neck
- Had four-toed toes, however the first digit didn’t contact the bottom
- Had an extended, heavy tail
- Forelimbs had two digits every
- Grew practically 400 kilos (180 kg) per 12 months, about 10% of its grownup weight
- Had about 72 enamel that had been lengthy and oval (not blade-like)
- Had the biggest enamel of tyrannosaurids
- Apex predator, in all probability ate Centrosaurus (ceratopsid) and Hypacrosaurus (hadrosaur)
- Some locations it co-existed with Gorgosaurus, however they could have inhabitated totally different niches
- Daspletosaurus had stronger jaws than Gorgosaurus (however enamel power had been related) so could have had totally different feeding types or food regimen
- Additionally, could have been some geographic separation (Gorgosaurus could have been extra frequent slightly extra north, and Daspletosaurus extra south)
- Gorgosaurus could have eaten the hadrosaurs, and Daspletosaurus could have gone for the ceratopsids (extra strong and fewer frequent than Gorgosaurus, and ceratopsids had been tougher to hunt). However, one Daspletosaurus present in Two Medication had a juvenile hadrosaur in its intestine
- Might have lived in teams, primarily based on a bonebed present in Two Medication (consists of three Daspletosaurus, together with an grownup, juvenile, and intermediate, and 5 hadrosaurs, they usually had been buried on the similar time in the identical place). Hadrosaurs are scattered and have chunk marks, so Daspletosaurus could have been consuming them after they died. Unclear what killed them. Currie mentioned Daspletosaurus could have been a pack, however not everybody agrees. Brian Roach and Daniel Brinkman mentioned Daspletosaurus could have been like Komodo dragons, the place they mob carcasses and assault and kill one another whereas feeding (examine in 2015 discovered proof of Daspletosaurus cannibalism)
- Hadrosaurs in bonebed could have died from poisonous fuel (and had been trapped), which attracted Daspletosaurus, who additionally died from poisonous fuel. Might even have been killed by different predators, preventing over meals, or the hadrosaurs had been killed and dragged away to a lair (unclear why that might be)
- Tyrannosauridae (means “tyrant lizards”) are theropods
- Lived late Cretaceous, Asia and North America
- Often the biggest predators
- Not many full specimens discovered for recognized tyrannosaurids
- However many genera have full skulls
- Some tyrannosaurids had crests above eyes
- Small arms however lengthy legs
- Juvenile tyrannosaurids had longer legs, extra suited to operating quick, however that modified as adults
Enjoyable reality: In evolutionary phrases: Synapomorphies are traits shared inside a bunch of organisms. Autapomorphies are traits distinctive to a selected species.
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For individuals who could favor studying, see beneath for the total transcript of our interview with Bruce Schumacher:
COMING SOON!