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Post by HRH Queen Talira on Aug 24, 2018 6:20:31 GMT
Located near the town of Cleveland, Utah, the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry contains the densest concentration of Jurassic dinosaur fossils ever found. More than 15,000 bones, including those of Camptosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Allosaurus, Camarasaurus, Stegosaurus and Ornitholestes, have been excavated from this site.
150 million years ago, the area was a freshwater lake, where dinosaurs and other animals would go to drink. The Jurassic was the hottest part of the Mesozoic Era and during times of drought, the lake would dry up, leaving only a small amount of water in its centre. However, the crusty lake-bed was a deadly trap. As large animals went out to drink, their weight would crack the dry layers of mud, causing them to become stuck in the wet mud hidden beneath. Unable to free themselves, they eventually died from heatstroke, exhaustion and dehydration. Any predators that came to feed on the dead or dying also became stuck. At least half of the excavated bones belong to Allosaurus.
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Post by magicmuggle01 on Aug 24, 2018 9:26:42 GMT
Located near the town of Cleveland, Utah, the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry contains the densest concentration of Jurassic dinosaur fossils ever found. More than 15,000 bones, including those of Camptosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Allosaurus, Camarasaurus, Stegosaurus and Ornitholestes, have been excavated from this site. 150 million years ago, the area was a freshwater lake, where dinosaurs and other animals would go to drink. The Jurassic was the hottest part of the Mesozoic Era and during times of drought, the lake would dry up, leaving only a small amount of water in its centre. However, the crusty lake-bed was a deadly trap. As large animals went out to drink, their weight would crack the dry layers of mud, causing them to become stuck in the wet mud hidden beneath. Unable to free themselves, they eventually died from heatstroke, exhaustion and dehydration. Any predators that came to feed on the dead or dying also became stuck. At least half of the excavated bones belong to Allosaurus. Wow what a find. It must have been a paleontologists dream.
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Post by HRH Queen Talira on Aug 25, 2018 7:26:40 GMT
Bones from no less than 40 individual Allosaurus have been found in the quarry. It's thought that Allosaurus hunted in packs, so this may explain the 3:1 predator/prey ratio. Fossil evidence, including shed Allosaur teeth and tail vertebrae with partially healed puncture wounds matching the size and shape of Stegosaurus tail spikes, shows that both Stegosaurs and Sauropods were on the menu for this predator.
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