Comments on: Did Dinosaurs Eat Ants?

By: Kattato Garu

Kattato Garu — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 16:10:10 +0000

Sorry I meen Linhenykus not Linheraptor. Looking at the robust Patagonykus arms (above) one could possibly believe in the digging/termitivory argument. But Linhenykus – the most derived form of Alvarezsaurs? – has such stunted little arms that it seems barely capable of doing what it’s supposed to… Like opening a tree trunk with your pinkies clamped to your nipples

By: Kattato Garu

Kattato Garu — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 16:03:58 +0000

I find the termitivory argument unconvincing since the animal seems rather ill suited for this lifestyle – it would have to stand up with its chest pressed up against a rotting log or termite mound and scrabble away with its little hooks, which seems very impractical indeed. I had a discussion with Dave Hone over this (see Dave Hone’s Linheraptor blog) and he gave me a fine point by point rebuttal of my arguments, but I still can’t picture a living animal doing this!!! I still wonder if there isn’t some bizarre alternative niche that we haven’t thought of – maybe these weren’t even used in feeding.

By: Jay Fitzsimmons

Jay Fitzsimmons — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 19:48:25 +0000

Very cool. Thank you, Brian, for teaching us about this group of dinosaurs! I hadn’t heard of this group.

By: Zhen

Zhen — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 13:29:24 +0000

Do we have any examples of Dinosaur cololite? I heard Leonardo had a lot of guts preserved.