Dinosaur Big John hasn’t revealed all his secrets. The famous Triceratops, sold at auction on October 21, 2021 for a record amount of €6.6 million (see video above), was recently studied by researchers. They came to the conclusion that this dinosaur He may have participated in a fierce battle a few months before his death.
Published on Thursday, April 7 in the magazine natureThis new study focused on the various injuries to Big John’s skull and collar. After the analysis, the researchers discovered that it was likely due to a fight with his congener, which could cause his death.
but that is not all. This discovery also answers many questions about healing dinosaurs. Based on their findings, the researchers already claim that the mechanisms behind the recovery process in these giant reptiles appear to be similar to those in mammals.
What killed Big John?
Big John is no stranger. A real star in the world fossilsIt is the most famous Triceratops. Of the unscientific Triceratops horidos, it is a species of horned dinosaur that is distinguished by a large frill on the back of its skull, made up particularly of the cranial bone, squamous. It has been suggested that this bony frill served as protection against injury during combat, both against predators such as Notorious. t rex or many other relatives.
Taking its name from its sheer size, Big John is indeed the largest triceratops fossil ever discovered. 5 to 10% larger From other known fossils. It is also one of the best preserved: 60% of its skeleton has been found, including three-quarters of its skull.
This fossil treasure is thus a mine of information, as discovered by Ruggiero D’Anastasio and colleagues. By examining the skull of Triceratops, they analyzed the traces of injury found on the fossil. In particular, the effect on the shape of the keyhole in the right squamous bone (specific to some vertebrates and the famous clavicle formation of Triceratops).
Ruggiero Danastasio / Nature
After analysis, the researchers concluded that it was the result of a traumatic event, possibly during a fight with another person. However, the animal did not die immediately. In fact, chemical analysis revealed the presence of substances present in the healing stages of bone trauma. Microscopic analysis revealed newly formed and healing bone with typical signs of the bone remodeling stage.
With these items, researchers have found many similarities between the healing processes of dinosaurs and those Mammals. However, the recovery was not ideal, because the bone surface at the site of injury is irregular and has plaque-like deposits in the bone. These items, the study notes, indicate the outcome of inflammation (or possibly infection).
However, it is difficult to be certain that this is the cause of Big John’s death. This nevertheless confirms the hypothesis developed from the second half of the twentieth century that the family Triceratops, ceratopsids would be combative, facing hard against their counterparts.
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