A skeleton of an Apatosaurus dinosaur, named 'Vulcain', was showcased at Dampierre castle before an auction in Dampierre-en-Yvelines, south of Paris, on July 10, 2024. — AFP file
The cause of the dinosaurs' decline is well-documented: a 66-million-year-old asteroid impact led to a catastrophic mass extinction. However, the path to their dominance is less clear. New research, heavily based on fossilized feces and vomit, sheds light on how dinosaurs surpassed their rivals during the Triassic Period. The study, focusing on a region in Poland rich in fossils from this crucial era, reveals new insights into dinosaur evolution.
Initially overshadowed by other animals, including large crocodile relatives and various plant-eaters, dinosaurs began to dominate around 200 million years ago, with their main competitors becoming extinct. 'We approached the rise of dinosaurs in a completely novel way. We analysed feeding evidence to deduce the ecological role of dinosaurs across their first 30 million years of evolution,' said Martin Qvarnström, a paleontologist at Uppsala University in Sweden and lead author of the study published in the journal Nature.
Early dinosaurs were opportunistic feeders, consuming insects, fish, and plants. Larger, more specialized predators and herbivores evolved as the climate became more humid, leading to the proliferation of new plant species. Fossilized feces, known as coprolites, and vomit, called regurgitates, collectively termed bromalites, were crucial in understanding feeding patterns and reconstructing ecosystems.
Over 100 kilograms of fossilized feces were studied, with researchers using skeletal fossils and footprints to identify the producers. For instance, Polonosuchus, a 20-foot-long meat-eater, left behind large, sausage-shaped coprolites with highly digested mass. In contrast, predatory dinosaurs' coprolites contained more undigested remains, indicating faster digestion.
Early dinosaurs were omnivorous, like the 7-foot-long Silesaurus. Large herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs emerged towards the end of the Triassic Period, driven by environmental changes and increased volcanic activity. By 200 million years ago, dinosaurs had fully established their dominance, with meat-eating dinosaurs reaching 26 feet in length and plant-eaters up to 33 feet.
Coprolites also revealed surprising details, such as herbivorous dinosaurs potentially consuming burnt plants and charcoal, possibly to neutralize toxins.
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