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'Schwarzenegger' of Dinosaurs Discovered

By Ker Than,
Posted: 2007-10-04 08:09:10
Filed Under: Science News
LiveScience.com


(Oct. 3) - A toothy, big-boned dinosaur uncovered in Utah is helping scientists recreate what ancient North America looked like 75 million years ago.

Dubbed Gryposaurus monumentensis , the new species was a member of the so-called duckbilled dinosaurs, so named because their flat, bony snouts resembled duck beaks. Unlike ducks, however, duckbilled dinosaurs, also called hadrosaurs, had teeth, which they used to munch on tough, fibrous plants.

Photo Gallery: New Species

Utah Museum of Natural History

Scientists in Utah uncovered the remains of Gryposaurus monumentensis, a new species that was a member of the so-called duckbilled dinosaurs. Here, a rendering shows what the creatures may have looked like.

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Similar to a shark, a duckbilled dinosaur essentially had a conveyer belt of teeth in its mouth, a seemingly endless supply. G. monumentensis, for example, had more than 300 teeth available in its mouth to slice up plants. And stacked below in columns hidden within the jawbone were many more replacement teeth, so a duckbill might have sported more than 800 teeth at any moment.

"It was capable of eating most any plant it wanted to," said Terry Gates, a paleontologist at the Utah Museum of Natural History and the University of Utah who was involved in the discovery. "With its robust jaws, no plant stood a chance."

Jaws weren't the only robust thing about G. monumentensis. All of its bones were likewise massive. Scott Sampson, another Utah Museum paleontologist who was involved in the study, called the animal the "Arnold Schwarzenegger of duckbilled dinosaurs."

"It was like a dinosaur on steroids," Sampson added. "The bones were thick, not just in the skull, but in the limbs as well."

Photo Gallery: Recent Discoveries

William Stout

An artist's sketch shows Glacialisaurus hammeri, a new dinosaur that was identified and named in December more than a decade after it was found in Antarctica. The plant-eater lived in the early Jurassic Period.

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The researchers think G. monumentensis was a key player in the ecosystem of ancient North America. "Duckbilled dinosaurs are the most common fossil that we find in the rock that we do our prospecting," Gates said. "From that we know they were probably one of the most common dinosaurs within this ecology 75 million years ago."

The new species is detailed in the Oct. 3 issue of the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.

Big problem

Most of what is known about G. monumentensis comes from a massive well-preserved skull and jawbone unearthed by the researchers in the Kaiparowits Formation in Utah in 2003. The team later found enough bones in other areas of the site to assemble a nearly complete skeleton. From these bones, paleontologists estimate the creature's head would have been just under three feet (one meter) in length, with an adult G. monumentensis measuring up to 30 feet (9 meters) in length.

The heftiness of G. monumentensis poses several problems for paleontologists trying to envision what North America looked like 75 million years ago. How the massive duckbill could survive alongside other giants, and why it didn't mingle even with its own relatives, are two head-scratchers.

At that time, southern Utah was very different from the arid desert and red-rock country there today. During much of the Late Cretaceous, a shallow sea split North America into eastern and western landmasses.

The western landmass, where G. monumentensis lived, was only about one-fifth the size of North America. Yet crammed on this relatively small island were several large plant-eating dinosaur species.

While G. monumentensis chomped greens in Utah, other species of duckbilled dinosaurs were grazing farther north in places such as Montana and Alberta, Canada.

Dinosaur overcrowding

Sampson estimates that as many as six duckbilled dinosaur species lived in so-called "West America" at any one time, up to 30 different duckbilled species over a span of several million years. And all of this was in addition to other large plant-eating dinosaurs, such as horned reptiles that were the ancestors of Triceratops.

Why the multiple duckbilled species didn't intermingle more is a mystery, since scientists know of no physical barriers like rivers or mountains that would have impeded the creatures' movements. "Think about white-tailed deer that are found all over North America today," Sampson said. "We wouldn't expect to see that many kinds of species and separated on such a fine resolution."

A related mystery is how such a relatively small landmass could support so many massive plant-eaters. One idea is that duckbills and other large plant-eaters had slower metabolisms, allowing them to subsist on much less food, yet still grow to their gargantuan sizes. Or there might have been an unusual overabundance of plants for dinosaurs to graze on. Yet another idea is that the climate of West America varied across latitudes, and that this "climate gradient" prevented dinosaurs from mixing.

If "the climates were somewhat different, then the plants would have been different," Sampson said. "If the plants were different, then the plant-eating animals are going to be different."

2007-10-03 16:32:18
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Manhorsegoth1207 03:34:00 AM Nov 12 2007

if when u stand before god to be judged and nothing youve done on this earth matters, then wouldnt he judge your soul, your morals, not the things you have done in life but the ideals and beliefs you gain from them. If nothing we did on earth mattered then how can you sit there and tell other people they are going to hell just becuase the things they say and do... for all you know they could be jesus. Do you think jesus knew from birth that he was god.... no, he referred to himself as Son of God or Son of Man, Son of David..... He never once thought he was god. My point on that is, everything we do now..... we judge ourselves later in life based on our own actions, and in doing that we try to make things better for our future. Based on christian beliefs, one who lives in sin all their lives can one day accept the lord and ask forgiveness and it shall be granted. So stop judging people and worry about bringing people to christ w/ love, not by saying ur goin to hell if you dont see

Manhorsegoth1207 03:34:00 AM Nov 12 2007

if when u stand before god to be judged and nothing youve done on this earth matters, then wouldnt he judge your soul, your morals, not the things you have done in life but the ideals and beliefs you gain from them. If nothing we did on earth mattered then how can you sit there and tell other people they are going to hell just becuase the things they say and do... for all you know they could be jesus. Do you think jesus knew from birth that he was god.... no, he referred to himself as Son of God or Son of Man, Son of David..... He never once thought he was god.

Manhorsegoth1207 03:34:00 AM Nov 12 2007

if when u stand before god to be judged and nothing youve done on this earth matters, then wouldnt he judge your soul, your morals, not the things you have done in life but the ideals and beliefs you gain from them. If nothing we did on earth mattered then how can you sit there and tell other people they are going to hell just becuase the things they say and do... for all you know they could be jesus. Do you think jesus knew from birth that he was god.... no, he referred to himself as Son of God or Son of Man, Son of David..... He never once thought he was god.

Manhorsegoth1207 03:34:00 AM Nov 12 2007

if when u stand before god to be judged and nothing youve done on this earth matters, then wouldnt he judge your soul, your morals, not the things you have done in life but the ideals and beliefs you gain from them. If nothing we did on earth mattered then how can you sit there and tell other people they are going to hell just becuase the things they say and do... for all you know they could be jesus. Do you think jesus knew from birth that he was god.... no, he referred to himself as Son of God or Son of Man, Son of David..... He never once thought he was god. My point on that is, everything we do now..... we judge ourselves later in life based on our own actions, and in doing that we try to make things better for our future. Based on christian beliefs, one who lives in sin all their lives can one day accept the lord and ask forgiveness and it shall be granted. So stop judging people and worry about bringing people to christ w/ love, not by saying ur goin to hell if you dont see

mbraunbe 08:49:07 PM Oct 09 2007

Believe me, God Almighty is in charge of this planet and he already knows who are his and those that call on his name. For the ones who do not believe and reject Jahova Jirra our true God and his Son Jesus. You will stand alone before his throne and he will give you your sentence.before the throne of judgement and all you have done on this earth is nothing and to deny him will be judged for what he did and did not do for Christ sake. There are lots of good people on this earth but, unless you ask him to come into your heart to save you, you will die in your sins and go to hell..

XXDEADMANSPARTYX 08:45:00 PM Oct 07 2007

heres one for you holy wankas, "Do you think, blue whales pray? With the brain the size of VW beetle, how could you assume that there wouldnt be enough cognative power in there for religious belief... or do you think that your special because your human?"

heres1thought 06:59:00 PM Oct 07 2007

Is it any wonder that these ignorant christians believe in this creationist crapola? Look at what else they believe....
Jesus was born of a virgin impregnated by a ghost.... the earth was created in six literal days; women come from a man's rib; a snake, a donkey, and a burning bush spoke human language; the entire world was flooded, covering the mountains to drown evil; all animal species, millions of them, rode on one boat; language variations stem from the tower of Babel; Moses had a magic wand; the Nile turned to blood; a stick turned into a snake; witches, wizards, and sorcerers really exist; food rained from the sky for 40 years; people were cured by the sight of a brass serpent; the sun stood still to help Joshua win a battle, and it went backward for King Hezekiah; men survived unaided in a fiery furnace; a detached hand floated in the air and wrote on a wall; men followed a star which directed them to a particular house; Jesus walked on water unaided LOL

Taylorndncar 02:23:00 PM Oct 07 2007

overpopulation is the assurance of survival of the species among the ignorant; if there is enough of us, somebody will survive...!

not true. despite their variances, dinosaurs remained dinosaurs. despite their color of skin, our species remain alive within the confines of our living conditions. dinosaurs could not mutate into a higher form of life. despite scientific knowledge and technology, the "name of the game" is to purify the genetic program, rather than mutate the genetic program to the next level and insure our survival.

we are no better off than the dinorsaurs...!

crimminsjeff2 12:58:45 PM Oct 07 2007

Look up on the deaf.com! you will see the terrible timelines so prepare for shocking evidences and it is clears that lot of people was misunderstood!

crimminsjeff2 12:54:58 PM Oct 07 2007

Those deaf people cannot read or talks because their poorly training of the skills. In fact, they were put into court where lot of people laughed and make fun of the deaf peoples in the court area before they send to mental hospital which treats them very miserable like cold cearels, stale breads, little water whcih is little dirty. That happens in middle times so the science discovers in middle time which relgions failed to proves! thinks harder and do research more and do't be a dummy if you talks about God works and all of mircales whcih is hard to proves because they tells you story about that and all of the people shaking their head then pray God so hard if they looking for hope but getting a hope is like a eardrop into their life so thinks harder.Gthoresr is wrongs because the carbon dating proves the facts so he doesn't getting it. He needs to do more reseach and grows his head up. what a dummy!

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