A Unique Discovery: Researchers Have Uncovered an Ultra-Rare Piece of Evidence That Dinosaurs Ate Mammals
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Loading... - Dijana Mandic
- 06 Feb 2023
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New research on the preserved gut contents of Microraptor reveals a more varied diet than previously believed.
An international team of scientists discovered a rare piece of evidence suggesting that dinosaurs consumed mammals.
A recent study in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology details the discovery of a mouse-sized mammal foot inside the gut contents of a Microraptor zhaoianus, a small feathered dinosaur from the early Cretaceous period. This is a rare and unique find, as there is only one previous report of a dinosaur with mammalian gut contents, and it’s not closely related to Microraptor.
It’s extremely rare to find conclusive evidence of a dinosaur’s diet because of how difficult it is for a dinosaur’s gut contents to be preserved, says Corwin Sullivan, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and co-author of the paper. Read More…
