Osteohistological analyses reveal diverse strategies of theropod dinosaur body-size evolution.

ABSTRACT: The independent evolution of gigantism among dinosaurs has been a topic of long-standing interest, but it remains unclear if gigantic theropods, the largest bipeds in the fossil record, all achieved massive sizes in the same manner, or through different strategies. We perform multi-element histological analyses on a phylogenetically broad dataset sampled from eight theropod families, with a focus on gigantic tyrannosaurids and carcharodontosaurids, to reconstruct the growth strategies of these lineages and test if particular bones consistently preserve the most complete growth record. We find that in skeletally mature gigantic theropods, weight-bearing bones consistently preserve extensive growth records, whereas non-weight-bearing bones are remodelled and less useful for growth reconstruc

SUBMITTER: Cullen TM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7739506 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature