The images of the “dinosaur era” inspired by films convince us that the vast majority of these dinosaurs were predators. However, even basic knowledge of biology casts doubt on this point of view. In modern nature, to feed a fairly small number of carnivores, the number of herbivores should be several times greater - otherwise predators will simply die out from hunger. An example is the regions where, with a decrease in the population of herbivorous species, a massive mortality of predators began.
It is unlikely that the situation was different during the time of the giant dinosaurs. And although the attack of an evil predator looks more spectacular, for example, there is no doubt that the species of herbivorous dinosaurs were much more diverse and numerous than the “community” of predators.
Title Errors
In general, there are plenty of misconceptions related to dinosaurs. This is not surprising: they lived long before the advent of mankind, reliable evidence of them - paleontological research, so you also have to correctly describe what you saw! Even in the scientific name of the most famous (mainly because of the unimaginable size) of these dinosaurs - sauropods - a mistake has already been made. From Latin, the name can be translated as "dinosaurs with legs of lizards." At the same time, the paws of these animals are closer to the elephant limbs, as they had to carry a very difficult carcass - from 10 to 40 tons. However, the name stuck.
Even the name "herbivorous" dinosaur deserves far from every representative of the ancient fauna. Nevertheless, most of them were not at all small in size, so, rather, these giants were tree-eating, in extreme cases, herbivorous. Rather, they could not even make out from the height of their growth.
Variety of sizes
Since dinosaurs "ruled the world" for tens of millions of years, the "species" of the herbivorous dinosaur spawned a lot. Some people know more, some less. The sizes of these animals also varied greatly. A dwarf dinosaur named Hesperonicus elizabeth was half a meter long and weighed less than a cat - two kilos. In second place by minimalism - compsognat, three quarters of a meter long and three kilograms in weight. However, it is worth noting that both "midgets" belonged to predators, although they ate different small animals.
Causes of gigantism and features of the external structure
But any average herbivorous dinosaur was just distinguished by gigantic proportions. This is not surprising: in those days it was the most reliable way to protect yourself from the attacks of the carnivorous aggressor. Firstly, with such growth, not every predator will jump to vital organs. Secondly, the tails turned out to be reliable batons, the well-aimed blow of which reliably brought down the aggressor. Thirdly, with such sizes it is possible to have additional armor and weapons - horns, protective plates, etc. Fourth, all species of herbivorous dinosaurs were herd animals, which increased their chances of survival. However, herd live and modern not predators.
In addition, the herbivorous dinosaur received an additional bonus from evolution: the main active brain was located not in the head, but in the sacrum. A small amount of “gray matter” in the skull served primarily to control the eyes. But the sacral brain was 20 times larger and was responsible for everything else. As a result, sauropods were distinguished by a very small skull, which is confirmed by excavations and illustrate pictures of herbivorous dinosaurs.
An abundance of species is the result of nutrition
Scientists have found that the great diversity of varieties of herbivorous dinosaurs is due to the fact that they did not intersect the "food zone". Each of the sauropods preferred their diet. Even if they grazed on one type of vegetation, someone preferred branches from the tops of trees, and someone (of more modest sizes) ate the undergrowth or fern at the foot. Moreover, some of the dinosaurs ate only one species of tree, which completely eliminated competition.
The most famous herbivorous dinosaurs, whose names are familiar even to children, lived mainly in the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Among them are the brachiosaurus, iguanodon, diplodocus and stegosaurus. All of them are giants, but paleontologists put the Argentinosaurus in the first place. It was the largest herbivorous dinosaur, the mass of which sometimes exceeded 60 tons. The second place is occupied by the brachiosaurus with a weight of 50 thousand kilograms.
Transformation of Predators
The distribution "predator - herbivorous dinosaur", corresponding to the modern ratio of carnivores and herbivores, is confirmed by the research of Chicago scientists, who found that most coelurasaurs were either herbivorous or evolved from predators. This indicates a good adaptive ability that was inherent in dinosaurs - animal food became scarce, they "retrained" for vegetarian food. Interestingly, in the process of transformation, many of them lost their fangs and other teeth, and their face was transformed into a beak.
A new species of herbivore dinosaur
It would seem that the study of sauropods has been conducted for more than two centuries, all dinosaur deposits on Earth should have already been found. However, paleontologists are still surprised by discoveries.
Pennsylvania scientists from 1998 to 2000 discovered a previously undescribed dinosaur, which was given the name Suuwassea emilieae. It is assumed that he was a "relative" of the diplodocus. Researchers, however, are now very interested in the modification of sauropod legs, which are visible on the bones, as well as an incomprehensible hole in the skull. Previously, such holes were found in only three species of dinosaurs.
So there are still puzzles posed by extinct lizards and not yet solved by scientists.