Research brief: New fossil sheds light on the evolution of how dinosaurs breathed eurekalert.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from eurekalert.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Artist’s concept of
Shuvuuia deserti, a dinosaur that, while small, had very efficient night vision and hearing. Image via Viktor Radermaker/ SciTechDaily.
There are many modern-day nocturnal predators, animals that hunt at night under cover of darkness, including barn owls, bats, leopards and hyenas. But what about 100 million years ago, during the time of the dinosaurs? Were there any nocturnal beasts roaming around in the dark way back then? New research suggests there were.
Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed senses of hearing, smell, and specially adapted eyesight. Scientists at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg have announced a new fossil analysis with evidence that two different species of theropods – three-toed, bidepal carnivorous dinosaurs – displayed these kinds of advanced nocturnal abilities.
New research shows that a small dinosaur called Shuvuuia deserti, that lived in the deserts of what's now Mongolia, had exceptional night vision and hearing, similar to modern day owls and other night predators.
Dinosaurs Enjoyed Nightlife, Too
May 12, 2021
The fossilized skeleton of the small bird-like dinosaur Shuvuuia deserti is seen in this undated handout image. (Mick Ellison/AMNH/Handout via REUTERS)
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Small dinosaurs once lived in the desert in today’s Mongolia and northern China. Their great night vision and strong hearing made them deadly
predators during the nighttime.
Scientists said Thursday they have found a circle of bones around the eye of a dinosaur called Shuvuuia Deserti. The bones were inside the skull, which holds the hearing organ. Scientists say the dinosaur had hearing and sight abilities much like an owl, meaning it could hunt in the dark.
Credit: Dorling Kindersley
Anyone who s raised a child or a pet will know just how fast and how steady their growth seems to be. You leave for a few days on a work trip and when you come home the child seems to have grown 10cm! That s all well and good for the modern household, but how did dinosaurs grow up? Did they, too, surprise their parents with their non-stop growth?
A new study lead by Dr Kimberley Chapelle of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of the Witwatersrand suggests NOT. At least for one iconic southern African dinosaur species. By looking at the fossil thigh bones under a microscope, researchers can count growth lines, like those of a tree. This allows them to study how much the individuals grew each year. By looking at growth rings in the bones of Massospondylus carinatus, Dr Chapelle was able to show that its growth varied season-to-season, more like a tree than a puppy or a baby human.