When we see digitized images of Tyrannosaurus Rex in all its cinematic glory, we often imagine that an animal this size, weighing between 5 and 15 tons, would have a long life. However, according to paleontologists The “growth rings” found in the fossilized bones of these animals do not indicate this.
Similar to growth structures in trees, these biological growth rings can be found in the fossilized bones of dinosaurs, especially young ones. Just as seasonal growth occurs in plants, paleontologists analyze these structures in dinosaur bones to intersperse periods of growth with periods of dormancy or slowdown.
Among the early subjects of these works, which began in the late 20th century, was the terrifying Sue, one of the most complete examples of the art, housed in Chicago’s Field Museum. Tyrannosaurus rex It has never been found on Earth. Analysis of his growth rings showed that he died at the age of 28.
Did larger dinosaurs live longer?
According to University of Edinburgh vertebrate palaeontologist Steve Brusatte, many people may be under the impression that: Dinosaurs reached these gigantic sizes only because they were long-lived..
After all, the largest animals on the planet live for many years today: the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) live up to 70 years and the bowhead whale (balaena mysticetus) easily reaches 200. And although they did not manage to live as long as today’s large animals, Dinosaurs have some resemblance.
Proof of this is that the giant, leaf-eating necked sauropods (which could weigh up to 100 tonnes) were probably the longest-lived dinosaurs. University of Maryland paleontologist Thomas Holtz told LiveScience. Some of the oldest sauropod species ever discovered lived up to 60 years.
Why were dinosaurs’ lifespans so short?
One of the most accepted hypotheses among the reasons why dinosaurs had such a short lifespan is their metabolism. According to Brusatte, some of these animals had “warm-blooded” thermoregulation. They exhibit incredibly fast metabolic activity by reptile standards, he told LiveScience.
Another thing that shortens lifespan may be reproduction: Because dinosaurs produced large numbers of offspring, it was possible to have a large number of offspring in a short time, Holtz said.
But this theory is only partially true, because if long-lived mammals such as elephants and whales had reduced offspring, Galápagos tortoises (Chelonoidis niger) reach triple-digit ages and produce large offspring. Therefore, this “reward” of natural selection is not fully guaranteed by offspring savings. So the short lifespan of dinosaurs remains a mystery.
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Source: Tec Mundo
I’m Blaine Morgan, an experienced journalist and writer with over 8 years of experience in the tech industry. My expertise lies in writing about technology news and trends, covering everything from cutting-edge gadgets to emerging software developments. I’ve written for several leading publications including Gadget Onus where I am an author.
