Diplodocus Skull Changed During Growth, Recovered Fossil Shows
Thursday, April 1, 2010 - 18:28
in Paleontology & Archaeology
A team of paleontologists said this week that some sauropod species went through drastic changes in skull shape during normal growth. Researchers came to the conclusion after examining the The skull of a juvenile sauropod dinosaur, rediscovered in the collections of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. The fossil offers a rare chance to look at the early life history of Diplodocus, a 150 million-year-old sauropod from western North America. The researchers believe these changes in skull shape may have been tied to feeding behavior, with adults and juveniles eating different foods to avoid competition. Young Diplodocus, with their narrower snouts, may also have been choosier browsers, selecting high quality plant parts. read more