Bite force estimates in juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex based on simulated puncture marks
Background Bite marks attributed to adult Tyrannosaurus rex have been subject to numerous studies. However, few bite marks attributed to T. rex have been traced to juveniles, leaving considerable gaps in understanding ontogenetic changes in bite mechanics and force, and the paleoecological role of j...
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| Format: | Article |
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PeerJ Inc.
2021-06-01
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| Series: | PeerJ |
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/11450.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797420883582648320 |
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| author | Joseph E. Peterson Z. Jack Tseng Shannon Brink |
| author_facet | Joseph E. Peterson Z. Jack Tseng Shannon Brink |
| author_sort | Joseph E. Peterson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background Bite marks attributed to adult Tyrannosaurus rex have been subject to numerous studies. However, few bite marks attributed to T. rex have been traced to juveniles, leaving considerable gaps in understanding ontogenetic changes in bite mechanics and force, and the paleoecological role of juvenile tyrannosaurs in the late Cretaceous. Methods Here we present bite force estimates for a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex based on mechanical tests designed to replicate bite marks previously attributed to a T. rex of approximately 13 years old. A maxillary tooth of the juvenile Tyrannosaurus specimen BMR P2002.4.1 was digitized, replicated in dental grade cobalt chromium alloy, and mounted to an electromechanical testing system. The tooth was then pressed into bovine long bones in various locations with differing cortical bone thicknesses at varying speeds for a total of 17 trials. Forces required to replicate punctures were recorded and puncture dimensions were measured. Results Our experimentally derived linear models suggest bite forces up to 5,641.19 N from cortical bone thickness estimated from puncture marks on an Edmontosaurus and a juvenile Tyrannosaurus. These findings are slightly higher than previously estimated bite forces for a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex of approximately the same size as BMR P2002.4.1 but fall within the expected range when compared to estimates of adult T. rex. Discussion The results of this study offer further insight into the role of juvenile tyrannosaurs in late Cretaceous ecosystems. Furthermore, we discuss the implications for feeding mechanisms, feeding behaviors, and ontogenetic niche partitioning. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:07:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-15f15713d5994777993fab0baf3da921 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:07:59Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PeerJ |
| spelling | doaj.art-15f15713d5994777993fab0baf3da9212023-12-03T09:19:02ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592021-06-019e1145010.7717/peerj.11450Bite force estimates in juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex based on simulated puncture marksJoseph E. Peterson0Z. Jack Tseng1Shannon Brink2Department of Geology, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States of AmericaDepartment of Integrative Biology and Museum of Paleontology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of AmericaDepartment of Geological Sciences, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, United States of AmericaBackground Bite marks attributed to adult Tyrannosaurus rex have been subject to numerous studies. However, few bite marks attributed to T. rex have been traced to juveniles, leaving considerable gaps in understanding ontogenetic changes in bite mechanics and force, and the paleoecological role of juvenile tyrannosaurs in the late Cretaceous. Methods Here we present bite force estimates for a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex based on mechanical tests designed to replicate bite marks previously attributed to a T. rex of approximately 13 years old. A maxillary tooth of the juvenile Tyrannosaurus specimen BMR P2002.4.1 was digitized, replicated in dental grade cobalt chromium alloy, and mounted to an electromechanical testing system. The tooth was then pressed into bovine long bones in various locations with differing cortical bone thicknesses at varying speeds for a total of 17 trials. Forces required to replicate punctures were recorded and puncture dimensions were measured. Results Our experimentally derived linear models suggest bite forces up to 5,641.19 N from cortical bone thickness estimated from puncture marks on an Edmontosaurus and a juvenile Tyrannosaurus. These findings are slightly higher than previously estimated bite forces for a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex of approximately the same size as BMR P2002.4.1 but fall within the expected range when compared to estimates of adult T. rex. Discussion The results of this study offer further insight into the role of juvenile tyrannosaurs in late Cretaceous ecosystems. Furthermore, we discuss the implications for feeding mechanisms, feeding behaviors, and ontogenetic niche partitioning.https://peerj.com/articles/11450.pdfTyrannosaurPaleoecologyOntogenyBite forcePaleobiology |
| spellingShingle | Joseph E. Peterson Z. Jack Tseng Shannon Brink Bite force estimates in juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex based on simulated puncture marks PeerJ Tyrannosaur Paleoecology Ontogeny Bite force Paleobiology |
| title | Bite force estimates in juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex based on simulated puncture marks |
| title_full | Bite force estimates in juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex based on simulated puncture marks |
| title_fullStr | Bite force estimates in juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex based on simulated puncture marks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bite force estimates in juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex based on simulated puncture marks |
| title_short | Bite force estimates in juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex based on simulated puncture marks |
| title_sort | bite force estimates in juvenile tyrannosaurus rex based on simulated puncture marks |
| topic | Tyrannosaur Paleoecology Ontogeny Bite force Paleobiology |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/11450.pdf |
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