A recent research study exposed that Saurosuchus, a Late Triassic reptile and distant relative of modern-day crocodiles, had a weaker bite than formerly thought and could not crunch bones like later dinosaurs. In spite of its big size, the bite strength of Saurosuchus was comparable to contemporary gharials, much weaker than its successors like Allosaurus and T. rex. Above is a skull and a life-reconstruction of Saurosuchus. Credit: Jordan Bestwick, University of Birmingham
Computer system simulations of apex predators show they had unique feeding behaviors from dinosaurs, as they were not able to squash bones.
The apex predators that roamed our world 230 million years back likely had a less powerful bite than researchers thought, and likely couldnt crunch through bone to take in the totality of their eliminates.
In a new research study released in The Anatomical Record, paleontologists from the University of Birmingham have actually recreated the initial skull anatomy of Saurosuchus, a Late Triassic reptile that is a remote relative of modern crocodiles. Saurosuchus was believed to be a peak predator due to its size and diet, standing in between 5-8 meters in length and weighing over 250 kg.
However, the most recent analysis of the skulls of the reptile and comparisons with the later well-known dinosaur Allosaurus discovered that in spite of their comparable skull strengths, the earlier crocodile relative Saurosuchus had a much weaker bite than the dinosaurs that followed it. Saurosuchus would have ate with the force of 1015– 1885 N, comparable to modern crocodiles called gharials.
For comparison:
Dr. Jordan Bestwick, a vertebrate palaeobiologist at the University of Birmingham and matching author of the paper stated: “We found that Saurosuchus really had an extremely weak bite for its size and therefore preceded animals in really various ways compared to later on progressing dinosaurs. In fact, regardless of being one of the larger lizards and a pinnacle predator, the Saurosuchus had a bite that was on a par with the relatively measly bite of the gharial, and much less effective than more fearsome crocs and alligators around today.
” You would still would have liked to leave Saurosuchus well alone, however they likely fed only on the soft fleshy littles their kills as their bite would not have enabled them to crunch up bones.”.
A detailed process of the remediation of the skull. Credit: Jordan Bestwick, University of Birmingham.
Mindful eaters.
Regardless of their relative size, Saurosuchus would have bewared restaurants that used their back teeth to get rid of the flesh from their eliminates, the research study recommends.
In contrast to later on dinosaurs, the feeding habits of Saurosuchus is most likely due to a weak bite and a more rectangle-shaped skull shape. These earlier reptiles had thinner bones in their noses compared to the later Allosaurus.
Dr Stephan Lautenschlager, Associate Professor in Palaeobiology at the University of Birmingham and senior author of the paper said: “The Saurosuchus would definitely have been a fearsome reptile up until it sat down to eat its prey, and we can see how evolutionary information in the skulls of these enormous apex predators necessitated substantial differences in eating behaviour. While dinosaurs that followed in the Jurassic duration would have eaten the huge majority of their kills, Saurosuchus might have left more complete carcasses, which would have supplied a secondary meal for carrion-feeding animals too.”.
Molly Fawcett, co-author of the paper said: “It is genuinely fantastic how comparable the skulls of leading predators in the Triassic period (the time before the dominance of the dinosaurs) look compared to the well-known carnivorous dinosaurs such as the T. rex. Suddenly we discovered that the bite power of these Triassic predators was far weaker compared to the post-Triassic dinosaurs.”.
Referral: “Functional morphology of the Triassic apex predator Saurosuchus galilei (Pseudosuchia: Loricata) and merging with a post-Triassic theropod dinosaur” by Molly J. Fawcett, Stephan Lautenschlager, Jordan Bestwick and Richard J. Butler, 16 August 2023, The Anatomical Record.DOI: 10.1002/ ar.25299.
Allosaurus: 3,572 N.
Saltwater crocodiles have a bite force of ~ 16,000 N.
Tyrannosaurus rex: 17,000-35,000 N.
A current research study revealed that Saurosuchus, a Late Triassic reptile and distant relative of modern crocodiles, had a weaker bite than previously thought and couldnt crunch bones like later dinosaurs. In spite of its big size, the bite strength of Saurosuchus was comparable to modern-day gharials, much weaker than its successors like Allosaurus and T. rex. Above is a skull and a life-reconstruction of Saurosuchus. Credit: Jordan Bestwick, University of Birmingham