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> Experts revealed the 125m-year-old fossil that froze in time after being taken on by a small mammal a third of its size. They are tangled together, the mammal

> Experts revealed the 125m-year-old fossil that froze in time after being taken on by a small mammal a third of its size. They are tangled together, the mammal’s teeth sunk into the beaked dinosaur’s ribs, its left paw clasping the beast’s lower jaw. I'm pretty sure my little dog would do something similar if she encountered a wild boar in the forest. I'm quite sure that if I were successfully chased down by a velociraptor, I would not just lay down and wait to be eaten. > Researchers said the discovery challenged a long-held view of early mammals as “fodder” for dinosaurs. I don't really get how that "challenges" any view at all. As if dinosaurs never got bitten nor scratched by stuff they were trying to eat. And with an erupting volcano nearby, I'd probably fight harder just for the hell of it and to mess with the palaeontologists.

bitwize 3y ago
Velociraptors were roughly turkey sized. I doubt one could eat a healthy human. The Jurassic Park "raptors" were badge-engineered Deinonychus. There's a smaller predator, larger prey phenomenon I find fascinating, and it has to do with how a modern dinosaur -- the peregrine falcon -- takes its prey. It literally falcon-punches its victim -- diving at high speed to strike with a closed talon. It can make a meal of a bird about twice its size this way, though usually it feeds on pigeons, other small birds, and the occasional small reptile or mammal.
- ChrisMarshallNY 3y ago
  It’s always fun, watching small hawks and falcons, trying to fly off with their kills. It’s a series of “hops.” As for nasty small critters, look at pretty much anything in the mustelid (weasel) family. Pound for pound, the nastiest critters on Earth. Wolverines have been known to hunt caribou. And, of course, we have the honey badger: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg
- Sparkyte 3y ago
  Their noodle necks would only be strong enough to draw blood and maybe slowly tear flesh. They looked to rely on their razor like teeth more than jaw strength. A human could beat them with kick. Anyone says they have a strong bite doesn't pay attention to other animals with similar jaws. Crocodiles for example can do 3700 PSI but is supported by a rigid neck and doesn't have to deal with the weight to support its jaws. This is also support by a jaw snapping mechanism. You could effectively hold a crocodiles mouth shut with no force at all. This would say the Jarasic Park ones had 1000 PSI, but real life ones 100 PSI and the teeth did all the work. Yeah I think humans have a stronger jaw, further the mouth extends from the jaw the more muscle it needs. Looked up a caiman bite force it about 400 PSI. There are some that can do more but it makes sense crocodile bite force is how much it can do with its weight. Slightly larger than a chicken Dino isn't going to compete with a caiman.
oxfordmale 3y ago
The dinosaur in question was a plant eater, so was not trying to eat the mammal. "The victim of its attack was Psittacosaurus lujiatunensis, a bipedal, plant-eating beaked dinosaur" It doesnt fully exclude the "random attack" behaviour, but makes it more unlikely.
Sharlin 3y ago
Uh, except that this was a herbivore dinosaur.
- midoridensha 3y ago
  Was it really? Are horses and cows herbivores or carnivores? You'll probably say they're herbivores, but there are plenty of videos of them eating small animals (like baby chicks).
mertd 3y ago
I feel like it is impossible to prove that the mammal wasn't simply scavenging on an already dead dino.

bitwize 3y ago

Velociraptors were roughly turkey sized. I doubt one could eat a healthy human. The Jurassic Park "raptors" were badge-engineered Deinonychus. There's a smaller predator, larger prey phenomenon I find fascinating, and it has to do with how a modern dinosaur -- the peregrine falcon -- takes its prey. It literally falcon-punches its victim -- diving at high speed to strike with a closed talon. It can make a meal of a bird about twice its size this way, though usually it feeds on pigeons, other small birds, and the occasional small reptile or mammal.

ChrisMarshallNY 3y ago
It’s always fun, watching small hawks and falcons, trying to fly off with their kills. It’s a series of “hops.” As for nasty small critters, look at pretty much anything in the mustelid (weasel) family. Pound for pound, the nastiest critters on Earth. Wolverines have been known to hunt caribou. And, of course, we have the honey badger: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg
Sparkyte 3y ago
Their noodle necks would only be strong enough to draw blood and maybe slowly tear flesh. They looked to rely on their razor like teeth more than jaw strength. A human could beat them with kick. Anyone says they have a strong bite doesn't pay attention to other animals with similar jaws. Crocodiles for example can do 3700 PSI but is supported by a rigid neck and doesn't have to deal with the weight to support its jaws. This is also support by a jaw snapping mechanism. You could effectively hold a crocodiles mouth shut with no force at all. This would say the Jarasic Park ones had 1000 PSI, but real life ones 100 PSI and the teeth did all the work. Yeah I think humans have a stronger jaw, further the mouth extends from the jaw the more muscle it needs. Looked up a caiman bite force it about 400 PSI. There are some that can do more but it makes sense crocodile bite force is how much it can do with its weight. Slightly larger than a chicken Dino isn't going to compete with a caiman.

oxfordmale 3y ago

The dinosaur in question was a plant eater, so was not trying to eat the mammal. "The victim of its attack was Psittacosaurus lujiatunensis, a bipedal, plant-eating beaked dinosaur" It doesnt fully exclude the "random attack" behaviour, but makes it more unlikely.

Sharlin 3y ago

Uh, except that this was a herbivore dinosaur.

midoridensha 3y ago
Was it really? Are horses and cows herbivores or carnivores? You'll probably say they're herbivores, but there are plenty of videos of them eating small animals (like baby chicks).

mertd 3y ago

I feel like it is impossible to prove that the mammal wasn't simply scavenging on an already dead dino.