Artwork depicting a group of Serratopsians with an Ankylosaurus moving along an ancient riverbed, observed by two tyrannosaurs
Julius Csotonyi
Have you ever considered a scenario where a group of plant-eating dinosaurs banded together, similar to certain modern-day animals? A 76 million-year-old set of tracks discovered in Canada could be the earliest indication of such behavior, although conclusions are far from definitive.
Last year, Brian Pickles and his team from the University of Reading in the UK uncovered parallel tracks in Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, created by at least five individual creatures.
“The tracks are in close proximity and evenly spaced,” comments Pickles. “This indicates they were likely moving in unison.”
Initially, researchers believed all the tracks belonged to the well-known Ceratopsians, particularly the Triceratops. While they haven’t pinpointed the specific Ceratopsid that created the tracks, fossil evidence suggests that Styracosaurus albertensis was present in the area at that time.
“During our excavation, we noted that one set of tracks was distinct from the others,” Pickles remarks. “While it shares a similar size, it features three toes. The only large dinosaur known to have made such a footprint in the park during that era was the Ankylosaurus, a heavily armored species with a club-like tail.”
He explains that since the tracks were presumably made near a river, the Ankylosaurus might have walked among the Serratopsians simply because they were all heading to the river to drink simultaneously. However, it’s also plausible that different herbivorous dinosaur species grouped together over time for protection. Notably, two predatory Tyrannosaurus tracks were found in proximity.
“In contemporary African ecosystems, it’s common for giraffes, zebras, and wildebeests to form mixed groups, which have varying abilities to detect predators,” Pickles adds.
Nevertheless, this remains inconclusive for multi-species flocks among dinosaurs, as only one Ankylosaurus footprint has been identified thus far.
Technician inspecting tracks at Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada
Dr. Brian Pickles, University of Reading
“I was struck by the notion that tracks from two distinct large herbivorous dinosaurs could be found so closely situated, all oriented in the same direction,” states Anthony Martin from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
“While it’s possible that the Serratopsians and Ankylosaurus could have occupied the area at different times, the proximity and alignment of their footprints provides a compelling argument that they influenced one another,” he elaborates.
Conversely, Anthony Romilio from the University of Queensland in Australia expresses skepticism about the presence of tracks from two separate species. “The proposed tracks of Serratopsia and Ankylosaurus exhibit surprising similarities,” he states.
In fact, noting that only the width of the track and the rear footprints were discovered, Romilio proposes that they may have been made by duck-billed dinosaurs. “In my view, these footprints are more likely attributable to a large-bodied hadrosaur,” he asserts.
“This doesn’t negate the possibility of mixed-species groups among dinosaurs. Various bird and mammal species are known to form such groups,” Romilio states. “It’s entirely reasonable to think that some dinosaurs may have done the same.”
However, Pickles refutes Romilio’s claim regarding the tracks. “These are definitely not hadrosaur tracks,” he states.
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Source: www.newscientist.com
