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Post by bricabrach on Oct 24, 2018 23:57:04 GMT
Looking at the photo below (taken at Fieldstation: Dinosaurs), it's no surprise that some paleontologists believe that Pachycephalosaurus butts heads in rivalry. Others do not, however. What are your thoughts on this? Might they, and under what circumstances might they butt heads? Could there be another use for their unique anatomy?
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Post by HRH Queen Talira on Oct 25, 2018 23:41:56 GMT
It's a very popular image. Two male Pachycephalosaurs engaged in a head-butting fight over territory, herd leadership or the right to mate. However, some palaeontologists believe the skull roof, despite its thickness, may not have been able to adequately sustain the impact associated with head-butting. Also, vertebrae shows the neck was carried in an "S" or "U" shaped curve, which made it unfit for transmitting stress from direct head-butts. Lastly, the skull is the wrong shape.
An alternative theory is that, rather than head-butting, these dinosaurs may have engaged in flank-butting. Another theory that been put forward is that the dome was the base of a horn or crest.
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Post by bricabrach on Oct 26, 2018 0:32:29 GMT
Thanks for your answer! The head-butting thing didn't make much sense to me. Also their use as the Get Out Of Jail Free card in Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom.
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