lesnogsm.blogg.se - Walking with dinosaurs therizinosaurus

It had a long thin head, weak jaw, and slender light-weight body, These features are far more suitable for hunting smaller prey and using speed instead of brute strength. However, the tyrannosaur Alioramus altai, from Mongolia, had a body unlike other members of the family. These probably helped deal with impacts from struggling prey and provided enough power to crush bone.

Tyrannosaurids generally have robust strong skulls, massive jaws and heavy chunky bodies.

This claw may have been used to pierce or hold on to prey. It also had a specialised claw on the second toe that it held off the ground when walking. This species had many bird-like characteristics, including long arms, feathers and a wishbone. There is no evidence that it hunted in packs, although some if its close relatives did. One fossil specimen from Mongolia preserves an individual locked in combat with its presumed prey Protoceratops.

Velociraptor mongoliensis was a small and agile meat-eater.

Whether this helped in attacking prey or leaping among tree branches is difficult to say. It was probably adapted for leaping as its rigid tail acted as a counterbalance, allowing pinpoint accuracy and freeing the powerful feet claws.

Sinornithosaurus was an active and agile species that may have hunted in groups.A mass burial of over a dozen of these dinosaurs suggests they may have lived in packs. Coelophysis bauri was a small theropod with a slender, lightweight skeleton and very long tail, for speed and agility in attack.This may have helped them prey on large sauropods. Some theropods like Albertosaurus and Giganotosaurus possibly attacked with a ‘bite and slice’ technique rather than going for an outright kill.