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Did Dinosaurs Live Alone or in Herds?
Some dinosaur species apparently lived in groups, as revealed by fossil evidence, which includes: many fossils found together in bonebeds (large deposits of bones of the same species in an area), fossilized trackways of many dinosaurs traveling together.
Dinosaur Tracks
Wide Sauropod Trackway
Dinosaur Footprint Fossil Replica>>
The footprint of Various Dinosaurs
Some dinosaurs may have grouped together for protection, and some may have cooperated for more effective hunting. The existence of herds can also suggest the necessity of seasonal migratory movements to feed a large group of animals.
Some herds may have been temporary, however, with the dinosaurs simply congregating temporarily at rich feeding grounds.
HERDS – SAFETY IN NUMBERS
Many plant-eating dinosaurs traveled in herds, feeding and perhaps nesting and migrating together. The advantage of congregating in herds was primarily in protection against predators (meat-eating animals).
Nesting:
An exquisitely preserved dinosaur nesting site discovered in the Gobi Desert shows that some of these prehistoric animals nested in groups and, like birds, protected their eggs.
“Dinosaurs are often portrayed as solitary creatures that nested on their own, buried their eggs, and then just went away,” says François Therrien, a paleontologist at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. “But here we show that some dinosaurs were much more gregarious. They came together and established a colony that they likely protected,” Therrien says.
Migrating:
Migrating – Brontosaurus
Migrating – Stegosaurus
Compsognathus herd, what are they doing? No idea
A bonebed of about 100 Styracosaurus fossils was found in Arizona, indicating that they also traveled in herds. Protoceratops bonebeds have also been found. Other ceratopsians, like Triceratops, may have also traveled in herds.
A herd of triceratops horridus faces off against a pack of small Tyrannosaurus
Maiasaura fossils have been found in a huge group of about 10,000 animals. This strongly indicates herding behavior. These Maiasauras were buried in volcanic ash along with a field of nests and eggs. Other duck-billed dinosaurs (hadrosaurs like Parasaurolophus) may have also congregated in herds to feed, nest, and perhaps migrate.
PACKS – BETTER HUNTING
Some meat-eating dinosaurs may have hunted in packs, combining their strength in order to kill very large prey.
The deadly and intelligent Velociraptor may have hunted in packs, attacking even very large animals. Other Dromeosaurids, like Deinonychus, may have also hunted in deadly packs, attacking even huge sauropods and ankylosaurids.
Realistic Life-size Animatronic Velociraptor for Show>>
Tyrannosaurs were probably social animals who hunted in packs, according to research from the University of Arkansas.
The research challenges a common theory that the huge lizards were solitary hunters who chased down prey alone, perhaps because they were too stupid to cooperate.
The tyrannosaur category includes the famous Tyrannosaurus rex, as well as similar-looking carnivores, like the Albertosaurus and Gorgosaurus.
Giant Animatronic Dinosaurs -T-Rex Models>>
Now you know that most of the dinosaurs live in herds.
So in the future exhibition, to restore the most realistic life scenes of the dinosaurs, take them in-group rather than with a single one.
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