Did Dinosaurs Die In Agony?
Many dinosaur fossils are found in a characteristic pose: head thrown back, mouth open in a rictus, limbs drawn in and tail arched back toward the head. It is actually called a death pose in a lot of writings, in fact. Well, there is a new theory that says that this characteristic pose may have been the result of agonizing death throes.
Fossilized dinosaurs often have wide-open mouths, heads thrown back and tails that curve toward the head. Paleontologists have long assumed the dinosaurs died in water and the currents drifted the bones into that position, or that rigor mortis or drying muscles, tendons and ligaments contorted the limbs.
"I'm reading this in the literature and thinking, 'This doesn't make any sense to me as a veterinarian,'" said Cynthia Marshall Faux, a veterinarian-turned-paleontologist at the Museum of the Rockies.
Faux and a colleague say brain damage and asphyxiation are the more likely culprits.
A classic example of the posture, which has puzzled paleontologists for ages, is the 150-million-year-old Archaeopteryx, the first-known example of a feathered dinosaur and the proposed link between dinosaurs and present-day birds.
"Virtually all articulated specimens of Archaeopteryx are in this posture, exhibiting a classic pose of head thrown back, jaws open, back and tail reflexed backward and limbs contracted," said Kevin Padian, professor of integrative biology and curator in the Museum of Paleontology at the University of California, Berkeley. He Faux (pronounced "Fox") published their findings this week in the journal Paleobiology.
Some animals found in this posture may have suffocated in ash during a volcanic eruption, consistent with the fact that many fossils are found in ash deposits, Faux and Padian said. But many other possibilities exist, including disease, brain trauma, severe bleeding, thiamine deficiency or poisoning.
Ahem. Amateurs. We here at the Blue Crab Advanced Institute of Paleontology and Fish Polishing, Ltd have an alternative theory, arrived at after long, agonizing minutes of web surfing. That characteristic pose, head thrown back, limbs contorted, mouth gaping, body curved back is actually very commonly seen today. We believe that we can provide video evidence to bolster our claim:
Those dinosaurs died while attempting to play air guitar to "Stairway to Freebird"*.
* (Cheerfully stolen from BlogDog in the comments section.)
By Chris, Saturday, 9 June , 2007 @ 7:22 pm
That guy sucks. I am way better at air guitar than that.
By old_dawg, Sunday, 10 June , 2007 @ 6:07 am
They probably died from watching naked bike riders. THAT is a real agony.
By Purple Avenger, Sunday, 10 June , 2007 @ 7:02 am
Air guitar world championships? I guess I lead a sheltered life…