Pre- and postmortem tyrannosaurid bite marks on the remains of Daspletosaurus (Tyrannosaurinae: Theropoda) from Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada

PeerJ. 2015 Apr 9:3:e885. doi: 10.7717/peerj.885. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Trace marks on the bones of non-avian dinosaurs may relate to feeding by large carnivores or as a result of combat. Here the cranium and mandible of a specimen of Daspletosaurus are described that show numerous premortem injuries with evidence of healing and these are inferred to relate primarily to intraspecific combat. In addition, postmortem damage to the mandible is indicative of late stage carcass consumption and the taphonomic context suggests that this was scavenging. These postmortem bites were delivered by a large bodied tyrannosaurid theropod and may have been a second Daspletosaurus, and thus this would be an additional record of tyrannosaurid cannibalism.

Keywords: Feeding traces; Palaeoecology; Scavenging; Tyrannosaur.

Grants and funding

The work was supported by donations via Experiment.com and contributions of numerous donors including Adrian Allen, Marko Mosscher, Brendan Clarke, Herman Diaz, Daniel Grimes, Keith Guerin, Joseph R. Hancock, Kilian Hekhuis, Tom Holland, Oliver Humpage, Megan, Harry and William Robbins, and other anonymous contributors. Special thanks in particular to Denny Luan, David Orr, Matt van Rooijen, Luis Rey, and Brett Booth for their donations and support. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.