Small raptor bite marks found on Alberta tyrannosaur fossil
A study published in the Journal of Paleontology reports fossil evidence from Drumheller showing a small raptor feeding on an Albertosaurus.
Study identifies likely scavenger
Paleontology master's student Joshua Doyon analyzed bite marks on an eight-year-old Albertosaurus fossil. The research suggests a dromaeosaurid, or raptor, consumed the carcass after the tyrannosaur died of unknown causes. This finding indicates a more complex food web than previously understood in the Alberta ecosystem.
Alternative cannibalism theory
Researchers note that baby Albertosaurus remains another possible explanation for the tooth marks found on the jaw. The distance between these marks matches teeth from dinosaurs known to roam the region at that time. Philip Currie, lead paleontologist at the University of Alberta, states this discovery turns previous assumptions about predator-prey relationships on their head.
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