Carnivores

Dimetrodon, an early predatory synapsid from the early Permian (~298-272 Million years ago). (Display at the Royal Tyrell Museum, Canada). Credit: Suresh A. Singh.Researchers from the University of Bristol and the Open University propose that the evolutionary success of the earliest large land predators was fueled by their need to improve as killers.The forerunners of mammals ruled the Earth for about 60 million years, long before the origin of the first dinosaurs. They diversified as the top predators on land between 315…

3D model of Barbourofelis fricki. Credit: Narimane ChatarResearch conducted by the University of Liège sheds new light on the mechanisms behind the bites of saber-toothed carnivores.Narimane Chatar, a Ph.D. student at the EDDyLab of the University of Liège (Belgium) led a team of researchers to examine the biting capabilities of Smilodon, an extinct species of carnivore that is related to modern-day felines. By utilizing advanced 3D scanning and simulation techniques, the team discovered how Smilodon was able to bite…

A first molar from a Neanderthal, which was analyzed for this study. Credit: © Lourdes MontesFor the first time, zinc isotope ratios in tooth enamel have been analyzed with the aim of identifying the diet of a Neanderthal.The Neanderthal to whom the tooth belonged was probably a carnivore.Other chemical tracers indicate that this individual did not consume the blood of their prey, but ate the bone marrow without consuming the bones.For the first time, a new study has used zinc isotope analysis to determine the position of…

Despite all we've discovered about our close Neanderthal cousins over the past century, there are still plenty of lingering questions. We know Neanderthals were proficient hunters, for example, but we still aren't sure to what degree they supplemented their diet with plants… if at all.By studying dental tartar taken from Neanderthal remains uncovered on the Iberian Peninsula, researchers are inclined to suspect at least some Neanderthals were omnivores, consuming a variety of plants and mushrooms.Other studies have…

A black bear eats hawthorn berries. Large animals can disperse seeds over great distances, but many large seed dispersers are extinct or in decline. Credit: Photo by Paul D. VitucciWhen given the option, captive bears mimic the diverse diets of their wild counterparts.Bears are neither cats nor dogs, and feeding them as such is probably going to make them live shorter lifetimes.A recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports on the diets of giant pandas and sloth bears provides additional proof that bears are…

A first molar from a Neanderthal, analysed for this study. Credit: Lourdes Montes A new study published on October 17 in the journal PNAS, led by a CNRS researcher, has for the first time used zinc isotope analysis to determine the position of Neanderthals in the food chain. Their findings suggest that they were in fact carnivores.…

An international team that includes a University of Minnesota Twin Cities researcher has discovered a new big, meat-eating dinosaur, dubbed Meraxes gigas (illustrated above), that provides clues about the evolution and anatomy of predatory dinosaurs such as the Carcharodontosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex. Credit: Jorge A GonzalezDiscovery provides insight into the evolution and anatomy of big, carnivorous dinosaurs.Researchers discovered a new huge, meat-eating dinosaur, dubbed Meraxes gigas. The new dinosaur provides…