Mating Injuries Reveal Clues to Female Dinosaurs
Traumatic bone injuries in the tails of duckbilled dinosaurs have led scientists to a groundbreaking discovery, enabling them to identify female dinosaur bones.
For decades, palaeontologists have struggled to distinguish between female and male dinosaurs. However, an international team of researchers, including those from Queen's, has made a significant breakthrough by analyzing hadrosaurs, a successful group of herbivorous dinosaurs.
- Using statistics and computer simulations, the team found a common pattern of bone fractures in the dinosaurs' tails.
- These injuries were likely caused during mating, where the male dinosaur crushed the female's backbones.
The discovery was made possible by the work of Dr. Filippo Bertozzo, who studied duckbill dinosaur pathologies for his PhD research at Queen's.
Author's summary: Scientists identify female dinosaurs through mating injuries.