T. rex와 같은 대형 육식 공룡은 더 강한 물기를 허용하기 위해 다양한 눈구멍 모양을 진화시켰습니다.

새로운 연구에 따르면, 다음과 같은 대형 육식 공룡은 티라노사우르스 렉스 더 높은 무는 힘을 더 잘 처리하기 위해 다양한 형태의 안구가 개발되었습니다.

대부분의 공룡을 포함한 많은 동물에서 눈구멍은 안구를 포함하는 두개골의 원형 구멍인 반면, 이것은 더 큰 육식 동물에서는 상당히 다릅니다.

새로운 연구에 따르면 이 포식자의 두개골에서 발견되는 특이한 타원형 또는 타원형 눈구멍이 먹이를 습격할 때 두개골이 충격을 흡수하는 데 도움이 되도록 진화했을 수 있습니다. 이 연구는 과학자들이 버밍엄 대학교오늘(2022년 8월 11일) 게시됨 커뮤니케이션 생물학.

원래 안와와 눈이 있는 티라노사우르스 렉스의 두개골과 생명 재건(왼쪽)과 원형 안와와 확대된 눈을 사용한 가상 재건(오른쪽). 크레딧: 버밍엄 대학교 Stefan Lautschlager 박사

Dr. Stefan Luttenschlager, 고생물학 선임 강사[{” attribute=””>University of Birmingham and author of the new study, analyzed the shape of the eye sockets of ca. 500 different dinosaurs and related species.

“The results show that only some dinosaurs had eye sockets that were elliptical or keyhole-shaped,” said Dr. Stephan Lautenschlager. “However, all of those were large, carnivorous dinosaurs with skull lengths of 1 m or more.”

Computer simulations of hypothetical dinosaur skulls. Colors indicate skull stress. High stresses occur in the skull with a round eye socket (top), lower stresses in a skull with a keyhole-shaped eye socket (bottom). Credit: Dr. Stephan Lautenschlager, University of Birmingham

Dr. Lautenschlager tested what purpose these unusual eye socket shapes could have by using computer simulations and stress analysis.

The results demonstrated that a skull with a circular eye socket was more prone to high stresses during biting. However, if these were replaced with other eye socket shapes stresses were significantly reduced. This allowed top predators, including Tyrannosaurus rex, to evolve high bite forces without compromising skull stability.

The study also showed that most plant-eating species and juvenile individuals retained a circular eye socket. Only large carnivores adopted other morphologies, such as elliptical, keyhole-shaped, or figure-of-eight-shaped eye sockets.

Skulls of different dinosaurs showing variation in eye socket shape (stippled outline). Credit: Dr. Stephan Lautenschlager, University of Birmingham

Dr. Lautenschlager added: “In these species, just the upper part of the eye socket was actually occupied by the eyeball. This also led to a relative reduction of eye size compared with skull size.”

The researchers also investigated what would have happened if eye size had increased at the same rate as skull length. In such a case, the eyes of Tyrannosaurus rex would have been up to 30 cm (12 inches) in diameter and weighed nearly 20 kg (44 pounds). This is instead of an estimated 13 cm (5 inches) and 2 kg (4.4 pounds).

Reference: “Functional and ecomorphological evolution of orbit shape in mesozoic archosaurs is driven by body size and diet” by Stephan Lautenschlager, 11 August 2022, Communications Biology.
DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03706-0