The Biomechanics Behind Extreme Osteophagy in Tyrannosaurus rex

Scientific Reports
Paul M Gignac, Gregory M Erickson

Abstract

Most carnivorous mammals can pulverize skeletal elements by generating tooth pressures between occluding teeth that exceed cortical bone shear strength, thereby permitting access to marrow and phosphatic salts. Conversely, carnivorous reptiles have non-occluding dentitions that engender negligible bone damage during feeding. As a result, most reptilian predators can only consume bones in their entirety. Nevertheless, North American tyrannosaurids, including the giant (13 metres [m]) theropod dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex stand out for habitually biting deeply into bones, pulverizing and digesting them. How this mammal-like capacity was possible, absent dental occlusion, is unknown. Here we analyzed T. rex feeding behaviour from trace evidence, estimated bite forces and tooth pressures, and studied tooth-bone contacts to provide the answer. We show that bone pulverization was made possible through a combination of: (1) prodigious bite forces (8,526-34,522 newtons [N]) and tooth pressures (718-2,974 megapascals [MPa]) promoting crack propagation in bones, (2) tooth form and dental arcade configurations that concentrated shear stresses, and (3) repetitive, localized biting. Collectively, these capacities and behaviors allowed T. rex ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jul 2, 2019·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Casey M HollidayLawrence M Witmer
Jul 2, 2019·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Ian N CostCasey M Holliday
Jan 14, 2018·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Courtney P OrsbonCallum F Ross
Nov 2, 2019·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Ali Nabavizadeh
Aug 19, 2020·PLoS Biology·Ryan N FeliceAnjali Goswami
Feb 8, 2019·Scientific Reports·Ingmar WerneburgRui Diogo
Feb 1, 2019·Scientific Reports·Martin QvarnströmGrzegorz Niedźwiedzki
Nov 1, 2018·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Tomoya Hanai, Takanobu Tsuihiji
Apr 10, 2019·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Manabu SakamotoChris Venditti
Feb 18, 2021·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Sarah BroydeKarl T Bates
Feb 16, 2021·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Andre J Rowe, Eric Snively
Sep 24, 2021·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Paul M GignacHaley D O'Brien
Nov 30, 2021·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Jordan BestwickRichard J Butler

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