Diamantinasaurus Mathilde, which existed approximately 94 million years ago during the mid-Cretaceous period, primarily consumed conifers, ferns, flowering plants, and utilized intestinal microorganisms for digestion almost entirely. You can learn more about it at the Winton Formation in Queensland, Australia.
Understanding dinosaur diets is essential for grasping their paleontology and their roles in Mesozoic ecosystems.
Nevertheless, while many non-avian dinosaurs are interpreted as herbivores based on their anatomy, only a few fossils provide tangible evidence in the form of coprolites (fossilized intestinal contents).
Out of the thousands of herbivorous non-avian dinosaur specimens identified globally, only three have shown likely or atypical gut contents, all of which belong to armored theropod dinosaurs preserved in marine layers.
Other herbivorous non-avian dinosaur specimens with fossilized gut contents include hadrosaurid ornithopods found in river environments.
Thus, the intestinal contents of sauropod dinosaurs—arguably the most ecologically significant large terrestrial herbivores during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods—remain largely unexplored due to their immense size.
“Since the 19th century, paleontologists have universally classified sauropods as herbivores,” stated Dr. Stephen Polopat, deputy director of the Western Australian Centre for Organic and Isotope Geochemistry at Curtin University.
“However, the specific plants they consumed and the heights from which they fed remained largely unknown until now.”
Dr. Polopat and his team examined the fossilized intestines of a specimen of Diamantinasaurus Mathilde informally referred to as Judy.
This fossil was discovered at a site near Winton and excavated in 2017 by museum staff and citizen scientists at the Australian Dinosaurs’ Museum of Natural History.
Among Judy’s stomach contents, paleontologists identified pinus and bracts from tall coniferous trees, as well as leaves and fruits originating from small seeds and flowering plants.
Diamantinasaurus Mathilde skeleton with intestinal contents. Image credits: Polopat et al., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.04.053.
“The findings indicated that sauropods consumed a variety of plants from different levels above the ground, contributing to their long-term survival and adaptability,” Dr. Polopat remarked.
“The stomach contents we analyzed belonged to a 12-meter-long sub-adult sauropod.”
“Our research shows that several types of sub-adult sauropods could feed at varying heights and adapt to diverse climatic, environmental, and vegetation changes during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.”
“We also verified that sauropods exhibited bulk-feeding, similar to methods utilized by herbivorous reptiles and birds today.”
“This implies they did not chew their food but swallowed it whole, allowing their digestive systems to process it completely.”
“Any meal would have lingered in their gastrointestinal tracts for as long as two weeks before being excreted.”
“Finally, the ability to observe sauropod stomach contents for the first time corroborated prior hypotheses regarding their dietary behavior.”
“Sauropods were remarkable creatures that roamed the planet for over 130 million years. Understanding their dietary patterns is crucial for comprehending their impact on the Earth’s ecosystem, particularly concerning plants and other herbivorous species.”
“Further research is necessary, and ideally, we aim to discover additional sauropod fossils containing stomach contents to ascertain whether their feeding habits evolved as they matured, especially regarding their consumption of growing plants.”
Professor Kliti Grice, founder of Curtin University’s Western Australian Centre for Organic and Isotope Geochemistry, expressed:
“Utilizing advanced organic geochemical methods, we confirmed the existence of both angiosperms and growth structures within the diet of this sauropod.”
The team’s research paper is published in the journal Current Biology.
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Stephen F. Polopat et al. 2025. The contents of the fossilized intestine reveal the feeding habits of sauropod dinosaurs. Current Biology 35 (11): 2597-2613; doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.04.053
Source: www.sci.news
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