Still Waters Posted May 20, 2011 #1 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Tyrannosaurus rex and its relatives were more intelligent than previously thought and hunted in gangs which included young and older members, researchers have claimed.Scientists believe they have evidence that the top predator dinosaurs were highly intelligent pack animals, despite T-rex being popularly depicted as a dangerous but dim-witted loner. This is a myth that has grown up because for many years their fossil skeletons tended to be found on their own, researchers say. The new theory follows an analysis of skeletons of the tyrannosaur Tarbosaurus bataar from 90 sites in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia. Tarbosaurus, a cousin of T-rex that lived around 70 million years ago, was a two-legged predator up to 12 metres long and weighing five tonnes. At least half a dozen of the animals appear to have belonged to a single social group, including adults and juveniles, that died together. Read more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drakester Posted May 21, 2011 #2 Share Posted May 21, 2011 Nothing that hadn´t been suggested before... I think the idea of social (which is not the same as pack-hunting) tyrannosaurs was first suggested in the 80s... I may be wrong, tho. It is funny, however, how the article deals with Tarbosaurus, but it is T-Rex that gets to the headline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Dave Posted May 22, 2011 #3 Share Posted May 22, 2011 Thats disturbing ... imagine not one, but 5 or more T-rexs running around hunting other animals... 0 chances of survival lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SameerPrehistorica Posted May 22, 2011 #4 Share Posted May 22, 2011 Nuke_em IconThats disturbing ... imagine not one, but 5 or more T-rexs running around hunting other animals... 0 chances of survival Hahaha....Exactly...That is what i thought Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eaglelox Posted May 22, 2011 #5 Share Posted May 22, 2011 (edited) watch chickens some time they hunt in packs without the pack mentality to work together. when they find something they tear it up and fight amongst each other till its gone. lol Edited May 22, 2011 by Eaglelox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keymaker Posted May 22, 2011 #6 Share Posted May 22, 2011 My god imagine the power a "pack" of Rex's would have. Surely they would have been unstoppable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xYlvax Posted May 22, 2011 #7 Share Posted May 22, 2011 Imagine how that would have made Jurassic Park like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d e v i c e Posted May 22, 2011 #8 Share Posted May 22, 2011 I'm a bit like the T-Rex, 'a dangerous but dim-witted loner' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drakester Posted May 22, 2011 #9 Share Posted May 22, 2011 I'm a bit like the T-Rex, 'a dangerous but dim-witted loner' Only it wasn´t dim witted... and probably wasn´t a loner either. BTW, there is one species of crocodilian (the Cuban crocodile) and one species of bird (the Harris Hawk) which are known to hunt cooperatively. I don´t see why dinosaurs couldn´t have done the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcos anthony toledo Posted May 22, 2011 #10 Share Posted May 22, 2011 The problem has been the lone hunter story which in reality it's dangerous and risky and leads the preditor open to injury and death with more members that lowers the risks in the hunt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Serenity Posted May 22, 2011 #11 Share Posted May 22, 2011 My T-rexs dreams will be more scary than ever. |: Thanks a lot. (Though the dreams are rare.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drakester Posted May 23, 2011 #12 Share Posted May 23, 2011 My T-rexs dreams will be more scary than ever. |: Thanks a lot. (Though the dreams are rare.) I've been eaten by a T-Rex in my dreams. It's not really that bad. Quick and painless XD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Verneph Posted May 23, 2011 #13 Share Posted May 23, 2011 (edited) I'm a bit like the T-Rex, 'a dangerous but dim-witted loner' T-Rex was actually considered quite smart by dinosaur standards. The idea that they could have hunted in packs is interesting. It was probably assumed to be a loner because its sheer size lended to the idea that it just didn't need help to take down its meals. It's been thought for a while that the Rex operated in a family system (they hunted in a group of several juveniles and two adults, or just the Mom depending on which scientist you talk to). The idea that they hunted in larger groups is an interesting idea, and not such a stretch considering what we know about them. Edited May 23, 2011 by Verneph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielost Posted May 23, 2011 #14 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Only it wasn´t dim witted... and probably wasn´t a loner either. BTW, there is one species of crocodilian (the Cuban crocodile) and one species of bird (the Harris Hawk) which are known to hunt cooperatively. I don´t see why dinosaurs couldn´t have done the same. do you mean the bird and the croc hunt together or the croc hunts with other crocs. if you mean the other the nile croc does the samething. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielost Posted May 23, 2011 #15 Share Posted May 23, 2011 T-Rex was actually considered quite smart by dinosaur standards. The idea that they could have hunted in packs is interesting. It was probably assumed to be a loner because its sheer size lended to the idea that it just didn't need help to take down its meals. It's been thought for a while that the Rex operated in a family system (they hunted in a group of several juveniles and two adults, or just the Mom depending on which scientist you talk to). The idea that they hunted in larger groups is an interesting idea, and not such a stretch considering what we know about them. if it wanted to go after a saropod it would have needed to hunt in packs. maybe they were like lions, most hunting in packs some hunting alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookietim Posted May 23, 2011 #16 Share Posted May 23, 2011 You know, this is mildly interesting. I don't think that this is actually a new suggestion but think about the implications of a pack hunting dinosaur... First off, pack hunters have to have a basic social structure. Then they need a basic way of communicating with each other. And pack hunters also tend to be social animals when not hunting as well. Think about wolves. Wolves are actually pretty intelligent when you think about it - they do have to coordinate themselves pretty well to do what they do. So we are talking about Dinosaurs that might have been on the road to becoming at least as smart as wolves... I wonder how much more they would have developed if they hadn't died out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielost Posted May 23, 2011 #17 Share Posted May 23, 2011 You know, this is mildly interesting. I don't think that this is actually a new suggestion but think about the implications of a pack hunting dinosaur... First off, pack hunters have to have a basic social structure. Then they need a basic way of communicating with each other. And pack hunters also tend to be social animals when not hunting as well. Think about wolves. Wolves are actually pretty intelligent when you think about it - they do have to coordinate themselves pretty well to do what they do. So we are talking about Dinosaurs that might have been on the road to becoming at least as smart as wolves... I wonder how much more they would have developed if they hadn't died out... your assuming that they werent smarter than wolves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookietim Posted May 23, 2011 #18 Share Posted May 23, 2011 your assuming that they werent smarter than wolves. They might have been... But I wonder how much further they would have progressed if they hadn't been shunted into a different evolutionary path. I wonder if the meteor hadn't happened if the Earth would be home to a super intelligent species of Dinosaur now... With a few million year head start on our species tech... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drakester Posted May 23, 2011 #19 Share Posted May 23, 2011 do you mean the bird and the croc hunt together or the croc hunts with other crocs. if you mean the other the nile croc does the samething. They hunt cooperatively with their own kind XD I still have to see a croc and a bird hunting together (although... I think I did when I was a child and I watched one of those rather awful Land Before Time sequels). And you are right, the Nile croc has also been known to hunt cooperatively. I wonder if there are other crocodilian (and bird) species who do the same and we still don´t know about it. As for inter-species cooperative hunting, I read once that moray eels and groupers sometimes team up to hunt... don´t remember where I read it tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d e v i c e Posted May 24, 2011 #20 Share Posted May 24, 2011 T-Rex was actually considered quite smart by dinosaur standards. The idea that they could have hunted in packs is interesting. It was probably assumed to be a loner because its sheer size lended to the idea that it just didn't need help to take down its meals. It's been thought for a while that the Rex operated in a family system (they hunted in a group of several juveniles and two adults, or just the Mom depending on which scientist you talk to). The idea that they hunted in larger groups is an interesting idea, and not such a stretch considering what we know about them. Very interesting. You know, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if these theories about T-Rex being a pack hunter or family oriented, turned out to be true. It's just hard for me to imagine such a large, powerful carnivore being 'a bit dim-witted'. I look at the crocodile. They're just completely focused on the tasks at hand - with positive results. 'Dim-witted' doesn't come into it. Btw, my little comment about me being a 'bit like a T-Rex' was totally tongue in cheek Thanks Vernaph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielost Posted May 24, 2011 #21 Share Posted May 24, 2011 They might have been... But I wonder how much further they would have progressed if they hadn't been shunted into a different evolutionary path. I wonder if the meteor hadn't happened if the Earth would be home to a super intelligent species of Dinosaur now... With a few million year head start on our species tech... the meteor was the final nail, not the only nail. they were already dieing off, o2 levels were dropping and dinos didn't have a diaphragm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielost Posted May 24, 2011 #22 Share Posted May 24, 2011 They hunt cooperatively with their own kind XD I still have to see a croc and a bird hunting together (although... I think I did when I was a child and I watched one of those rather awful Land Before Time sequels). And you are right, the Nile croc has also been known to hunt cooperatively. I wonder if there are other crocodilian (and bird) species who do the same and we still don´t know about it. As for inter-species cooperative hunting, I read once that moray eels and groupers sometimes team up to hunt... don´t remember where I read it tho. this has been a while, but on a doc. they showed a coyote and a badger working together to get prairie dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drakester Posted May 24, 2011 #23 Share Posted May 24, 2011 this has been a while, but on a doc. they showed a coyote and a badger working together to get prairie dogs. Yeah, that is true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Turner Posted May 25, 2011 #24 Share Posted May 25, 2011 A big angry chicken. Nasty, nasty. Still would give a limb (no pun intended) to see one still alive and moving. Stupid epochs of time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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