Researchers Have Uncovered an Ultra-Rare Piece of Evidence That Dinosaurs Ate Mammals
mrpg writes:
A Unique Discovery: Researchers Have Uncovered an Ultra-Rare Piece of Evidence That Dinosaurs Ate Mammals
[...] A recent study in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology details the discovery of a mouse-sized mammal foot inside the gut contents of a Microraptor zhaoianus, a small feathered dinosaur from the early Cretaceous period. This is a rare and unique find, as there is only one previous report of a dinosaur with mammalian gut contents, and it's not closely related to Microraptor.
[...] Previous Microraptor specimens from this area have been found with gut contents of a fish, bird, and lizard, indicating that these small dinosaurs had diverse diets. However, it remains unclear whether Microraptor consumed the contents in a predator-prey relationship or by scavenging. Researchers can only say conclusively that Microraptor was carnivorous.
Sullivan says information about dinosaurs' diets is a key piece in the puzzle to learning more about what was going on at the time they roamed the Earth.
Journal Reference:
David W. E. Hone, T. Alexander Dececchi, Corwin Sullivan, et al., Generalist diet of Microraptor zhaoianus included mammals, J Vertebr Paleo, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2022.2144337
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