Page 106 - World of Animals - Deadly Predators

The
devil’s
in the
dental
Dinosaur teeth are perhaps one of the most
coveted of dinosaur fossils, and it’s easy to
see why. The most efficient killers at the time
were armed with an arsenal of razor-sharp,
serrated and immensely strong gnashers
allowing them to rip through the often tough
and leathery skin of their victims.
The Tyrannosaurus rex had around 60
teeth in its mouth, which might not sound like
many given their size, but, much like today’s
sharks, T-rex were able to replace any teeth
that were lost. Combined with their immense
biting force, it’s believed T-rex were more
than capable of crunching through bone,
and the serrated edges of their long teeth,
reaching 30 centimetres (11.8 inches) in size,
would have made short work of muscle and
flesh. Many carnivorous dinosaur specimens
have also been found with teeth that pointed
backwards into their mouths, a trait that
would have allowed them to clamp down on
prey attempting to escape.
Tyrannosaurus rex
had approximately 60
sharp and strong teeth
that it could replace if
any were lost
© Thinkstock
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to create a sail that was likely brightly
coloured and served as a warning to
other dinosaurs as to how deadly the
Spinosaurus was.
However, teeth weren’t everything
in the age of dinosaurs, as proved by
the ‘scythe lizard’, Therizinosaurus. This
huge dinosaur reached lengths of ten
metres (32.8 feet) and was equipped with
powerful forelimbs sporting enormous,
sword-like claws that are thought to have
been as long as one metre (3.3 feet), the
longest claw of any known animal.
But monsters weren’t only found on
dry land in the Mesozoic era, a time at
which most of the planet was covered
in water. This vast ocean was teeming
with aquatic predators. The largest of
these were the mosasaurs, in particular
Mosasaurus hoffmanni. They began on
land as small lizards that were predated
“It was equipped with powerful forelimbs
sporting enormous, sword-like claws”
Their sharp outward-
facing teeth and
long necks made
Plesiosaurs effective
marine hunters
PLESIOSAURUS
© Thinkstock Lifespan Unknown
Plesiosauria
Weight 450kg (992Ibs)
The Spinosaurus is the largest land
predator ever to have lived
SPINOSAURUS AEGYPTIACUS
Spinosaurus
Lifespan Unknown
Weight Up to 20 tons
on by the early dinosaurs. They eventually
moved into the water and evolved into
Dallasaurus, the missing link between
mosasaurs and their terrestrial land lizard
ancestors. Over the next 3 million years
they continued to grow in size, supported
by the warm waters and biodiverse ocean
that was teeming with potential prey.
Their ability to hold their breath for
long periods of time meant they could
hunt uninterrupted, using their webbed
toes and flat, paddle-like tail to move
quickly and efficiently through the water.
Investigations into their skulls have also
revealed they would’ve been able to
hear well underwater, enabling them to
track down their prey using sound as
well as pressure sensors along their jaws,
which worked much like sonar. However,
even for a 14-ton apex predator, in these
resource-rich times competition was rife.
© Thinkstock