AboutDavid Prus Expertise I can answer any general questions about dinosaurs and on prehistoric mammals in the Cenozoic. I also know a bit about the media's various depictions of dinosaurs and their inaccuracies. I don't know much about "microfauna"-small animals, or about Paleozoic besides some knowledge about Permian animals. Plants are right out, I'm afraid.
Experience I have been interested in dinosaurs for most of my life, own a large collection of scientific papers and books on the subject, and am a member of the Field Museum in Chicago.
Education/Credentials I am in college, but studied biology and geology both in high school and as a personal effort.
Question Hi 1)what was the hunting technique of abelisaurids? some scientists say that they disected their ,prey primarly, titanosaurids with slashing bites,but how could this happen?
they had relatively small teeth and jaws that probably couldn't rip big chunks of meet from a sauropod. 2)liopleurodon preyd upon other marine reptiles. his teeth hadn't serrated edges, how could he rip the flesh from a big plesiosaur? thanks
Answer 1) Abeliosaurs did not use just their teeth in the attack with a simple bite. They probably used their sheer momentum and wide gape like allosaurs did to inflict damage. The teeth themselves look small, but only in proportion to the depth of the skull. Like all ceratosaurs, their teeth were largest on the upper jaw, and probably used their upper jaw in hammering slashes with the whole head instead of biting. Abelisaurus itself had small teeth, but you should examine the skulls of Rugops, Kryptops, and Carnotaurus, in addition to Ceratosaurus and Tarascosaurus. The lower jaw is pretty weak, but the depth of the skull and the size of the upper teeth show a pretty specialized use.
2. It doesn't take serrations to be lethal. Look at crocodiles today. The pliosaurs had an incredible bite force, and probably, like crocs, used a combination of sheer biting power with sharp twists of the powerful neck to simply pull off flesh with sheer force.
I'm just speculating, but remember there's a million ways to murder.
