Dinosaur teeth show about life 150 million years ago

What did long-neck dinosaurs ate-and where were they walking to fulfill their appetite? A team of researchers has restructured Soropads’ feeding behavior using modern dental clothing analysis. Their results, published in Nature environment and evolutionMicroscopes provides amazing insights to migration, environmental conditions and niche distribution in the environmental system before 150 million years ago.

How did the large -scale dinosaurs survive during the Jurassic era? What they ate, how did they distribute their residences – and did they probably migrate to the season? An international team of researchers searching for these questions has been led by Post Documentary Researcher, Dr. Daniel e -Winclar at Kele University, Dr. Emmanuel Techop, Free University’s Labor and Research Associate Scientist, Free University Berlin, and Andre Saliro. Student at Nova University Lisbon. Their new study uses an unusual method: using signs to wear on foolish teeth as a window in the past.

“I still find it interesting that microscope on the teeth can tell us a lot about diet and even behavior.” This technique, known as the dental microware structure analysis (DMTA), was actually developed by a research group, led by Lab scientist Professor Thomas Qaiser. In the current study, the first systematic application of the Soropods procedure is. The analysis was done in the laboratories of the lab.

Tooth enamel as an environmental protected document

The team analyzed 322 high resolution 3D scans of dental levels from three geological shapes that are known for their dinosaurs fossils: Lorena formation in Portugal, Morrison formation in the United States, and Tendagoro in Tanzania. All teeth came from a total of 39 people. The sample was taken directly from real teeth or from high resolution silicone molds.

“We’re talking about micrometer structures on a microme -scale,” Windleer explained. “These small clothing marks are the result of interaction between teeth and food – they show what animals ate in the last days or weeks of their lives.”

Amazing differences between species and letters

Statistics analysis has revealed clear differences between different soropod groups and their areas or geographical areas. Particularly surprisingly, wearing samples between flagelicoadton had high variations. It is a group of long -tail soropads that include the leading diplodox. The difference shows that these animals had access to several sources of food and usually showed the food conduct.

One of the most surprising was that both Portugal and the US commerce samples had extremely uniform clothing samples. There is no such consistency in the micrier to be described as the equally described by the availability of uniform plants – it shows that these dinosaurs deliberately sought the same preferred food sources throughout the year.

“At that time, climate in both Portugal and the United States was extremely seasonal, so some plants were not available all year long,” said Emmanuel Techupop. “The consistency of wearing chemicals, teeth, shows that they have migrated to the same resources to the same resources.”

Things were different from Titanosorforma from Tanzania, whose teeth show significantly more severe and complex clothing. Researchers interpret this as a result of specific environmental conditions: In the formation of Tandagoro, the tropical climate of semi -barren and a large desert belt around it, from which quartz sand was probably often flown on plants. The possibility of a diet contaminated with this sand causes samples of highly abrasive clothing shown on the teeth.

Climate, not the type of plant, as a key factor

There were clear differences between these regions themselves: were Tanzania’s teeth permanently wearing more than Portugal or the United States’ significant factor? Climate

“One of the most interesting aspects of this work is that we were able to connect the differences with the preferences of the residence of various soropodic fona in dental clothing samples,” said Cyro. “In this research, I was told how to approach your ongoing work on the distribution of herbs in the dinosaurs-focusing on a specific pale environment to better understand the environmental relationship within the groups groups, and how these differences were developed in the ecosystem.”

For TSCHOPP, this is one of the most interesting elements of the research. “With these microscope signs, we can suddenly make statements about these very abominable animals. Migration, specialty, useful use – they all become solid.”

Another notable aspect: Wear samples vary depending on the tooth area. These differences were analyzed to avoid distortion.

This study not only provides new insights about the lives of individual dinosaurs species, but also aid in the wider understanding of palicological relationships. The niche distribution, climate adaptation, and potential avoidance can be identified in such a way that the gynecological environmental system can also be identified.

“We indicate that environmental principles such as niche and migration behavior were not only today, but already 150 million years ago.” “Morrison Formation’s Soropads show the diversity of many species. And this diversity was possible only because the species behaved differently and occupied different nutrients,” Tuschup added.

Looking forward: more teeth, more knowledge

Research is far away. The purpose of the future study is to discover whether adolescent and adult soropods were different in their diet, or that the dwarfs like the lower sexy from the lower sexes have adapted to the environment of their specific island. Siliro is already working on an extended datastate for Portuguese animals, including other herbs dinosaurs.

Windleer says, “What am I happy that we can improve this procedure. And every new sample adds another piece to this puzzle.” “Our tools are getting better – and we understand what life was like that.”

TSCHOpp agrees. “We are still at the beginning with this procedure – but by combining palionology, modern technology and interfaith cooperation begins interesting insights in ancient worlds.”