Morphology and Behavior Flashcards
How can biomechanics be deduced?
By looking at trackways (footprints), measuring distance between footprints can show the distance between the foot and hip also the dimensionless speed.
What was the speed of small bipedal theropods and ornithopods?
40 km/hr
What was the speed of large bipedal theropods and ornithopods?
20 km/hr
What was the speed of quadrupedal stegosaurs and ankylosaurs?
6-8 km/hr
What was the speed of quadrupedal sauropods?
12-17 km/hr
What was the speed of quadrupedal ceratopsians?
25 km/hr
What is ER?
Measure of relative brain size, takes into account body size/mass and brain size.
How can the intelligence of an animal be deduced?
Weight of animal and brain size (EQ)
What dinosaur had the highest EQ?
What was the EQ?
Dromaeosaurid. Closely related to birds
5.8
What dinosaur had the lowest EQ?
What was the EQ?
Sauropods
<0.5
How could the senses of an animal be deduced?
By looking at preserved skulls.
Different regions;
- Big eye sockets (to see in the dark)
- Olfactory region (smell)
- Fenestra ovalis (hearing, sensed vibrations from eardrums)
How could the diet of an animal be deduced?
Look at:
- Preserved stomach/gut contents (twigs and needles)
- Coprolites (preserved faeces)
- Teeth form
- Jaw adaptations
- Co-occurrence
What does teeth form tell about a dinosaur?
Carnivorous dinosaurs would have sharp, serrated teeth to tear flesh.
Herbivorous dinosaurs would have flat teeth for grinding vegetation.
What do jaw adaptations tell about a dinosaur?
If they had a hinge in the haw, it would allow the teeth to slide over each other and grind vegetation.
How can behaviour of an animal be deduced?
- Nests found, shows animals woucl come back to lay eggs in the same place
- Size of footprints, shows ages of animals that would walk together
- Sexual dimorphism (thicker skull on males for headbutting)
