Growth Dynamics of Australia's Polar Dinosaurs

Analysis of bone microstructure in ornithopod and theropod dinosaurs from Victoria, Australia, documents ontogenetic changes, providing insight into the dinosaurs' successful habitation of Cretaceous Antarctic environments. Woven-fibered bone tissue in the smallest specimens indicates rapid gro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PLoS ONE
Main Authors: Woodward, Holly N, Rich, Thomas H, Chinsamy, Anusuya, Vickers-Rich, Patricia
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science 2011
Subjects:
Dinosaurs
Femur
Microstructure
Tibia
Fossils
Hibernation
Laboratory glassware
Cretaceous period
Antarctic
Antarc*
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11427/16193
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0023339
https://open.uct.ac.za/bitstream/11427/16193/1/Woodward_Australias_Polar_Dinosaurs_2011.pdf
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Summary:Analysis of bone microstructure in ornithopod and theropod dinosaurs from Victoria, Australia, documents ontogenetic changes, providing insight into the dinosaurs' successful habitation of Cretaceous Antarctic environments. Woven-fibered bone tissue in the smallest specimens indicates rapid growth rates during early ontogeny. Later ontogeny is marked by parallel-fibered tissue, suggesting reduced growth rates approaching skeletal maturity. Bone microstructure similarities between the ornithopods and theropods, including the presence of LAGs in each group, suggest there is no osteohistologic evidence supporting the hypothesis that polar theropods hibernated seasonally. Results instead suggest high-latitude dinosaurs had growth trajectories similar to their lower-latitude relatives and thus, rapid early ontogenetic growth and the cyclical suspensions of growth inherent in the theropod and ornithopod lineages enabled them to successfully exploit polar regions.

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