Fighting Dinosaurs
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The Fighting Dinosaurs is a
fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
specimen Specimen may refer to: Science and technology * Sample (material), a limited quantity of something which is intended to be similar to and represent a larger amount * Biological specimen or biospecimen, an organic specimen held by a biorepository ...
which was found in the
Late Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''creta'', ...
Djadokhta Formation The Djadochta Formation (sometimes transcribed and also known as Djadokhta, Djadokata, or Dzhadokhtskaya) is a highly fossiliferous geological formation situated in Central Asia, Gobi Desert, dating from the Late Cretaceous period, about 75 mill ...
of
Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
. It preserves a ''
Protoceratops andrewsi ''Protoceratops'' (; ) is a genus of small protoceratopsid dinosaurs that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous, around 75 to 71 million years ago. The genus ''Protoceratops'' includes two species: ''P. andrewsi'' and the larger ''P. hellenik ...
'' and ''
Velociraptor mongoliensis ''Velociraptor'' (; ) is a genus of small dromaeosaurid dinosaur that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous epoch, about 75 million to 71 million years ago. Two species are currently recognized, although others have been assigned in the pa ...
'' trapped in combat and provides direct evidence of
predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
y behavior in non-
avian Avian may refer to: *Birds or Aves, winged animals *Avian (given name) (russian: Авиа́н, link=no), a male forename Aviation *Avro Avian, a series of light aircraft made by Avro in the 1920s and 1930s *Avian Limited, a hang glider manufacture ...
dinosaurs. The specimen was discovered in 1971 and has caused much debate as to how both animals came to be preserved together with relative completeness. Several hypotheses have been proposed, including a drowning scenario, burial by either dune collapse or
sandstorm A dust storm, also called a sandstorm, is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Fine particles are transpo ...
, or alternatively they were not buried simultaneously.


History of discovery

From 1963 to 1971,
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
-
Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
n paleontological expeditions were carried out in the Gobi Desert with the objective of
fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
-finding. The expedition of 1971 visited several localities of the Djadokhta and Nemegt formations, discovering the lower beds of the latter. In that year on August 3, during the fieldwork of a team composed of
paleontologist Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...
s
Tomasz Jerzykiewicz Tomasz is a Polish given name, the equivalent of Thomas in English. Notable people with the given name include: * Tomasz Adamek (born 1976), Polish heavyweight boxer *Tomasz Arciszewski (1877–1955), Polish socialist politician and Prime Mini ...
, Maciej Kuczyński,
Teresa Maryańska Teresa Maryańska (1937 – 3 October 2019) was a Polish paleontologist who specialized in Mongolian dinosaurs, particularly pachycephalosaurians and ankylosaurians. Peter Dodson (1998 p. 9) states that in 1974 Maryanska together with Hals ...
, Edward Miranowski,
Altangerel Perle Altangerel Perle (born 1945) is a Mongolian palaeontologist. He is employed at the National University of Mongolia. He has described species such as ''Goyocephale lattimorei'', '' Achillobator giganticus'' and '' Erlikosaurus andrewsi''. He has ...
and Wojciech Skarżyński, several fossils of ''Protoceratops'' and ''Velociraptor'' were found at the Tugriken Shire locality (Djadokhta Formation) including a block containing a pair of them. The individuals of this block were identified as a ''P. andrewsi'' struggling with a ''V. mongoliensis''. Although the circumstances of their burial were unknown, their pose indicated that they died simultaneously in a death match. The presence of the specimen on field was noted thanks to the overlapping skull fragments of the ''Protoceratops'' on the
sediment Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sa ...
s, which eventually led to the excavation. It was soon nicknamed the Fighting Dinosaurs. The ''P. andrewsi'' individual is cataloged under the specimen number MPC-D 100/512 and the ''V. mongoliensis'' as MPC-D 100/25 ( Mongolian Paleontological Center; originally GIN or GI SPS). In 2000 the American Museum of Natural History organized the traveling exhibit ''Fighting Dinosaurs: New Discoveries from Mongolia'' which was mainly focused on important Mongolian fossils with emphasis on the Fighting Dinosaurs, which is now regarded as a
national treasure The idea of national treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries. Nationalism is an ideology that supports the nation as the funda ...
of Mongolia.


Interpretation

In 1974, Mongolian paleontologist
Rinchen Barsbold , Rinchyengiin Barsbold, born December 21, 1935 in Ulaanbaatar) is a Mongolian paleontologist and geologist. He works with the Institute of Geology, at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. He is an expert in vertebrate paleontology and Mesozoic stratigraphy. Bar ...
suggested that the
quicksand Quicksand is a colloid consisting of fine granular material (such as sand, silt or clay) and water. It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it creates a liquefied soil that los ...
-like bottom of a
lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
could have kept them together or that both animals fell into a swamp-like
waterbody A body of water or waterbody (often spelled water body) is any significant accumulation of water on the surface of Earth or another planet. The term most often refers to oceans, seas, and lakes, but it includes smaller pools of water such as ...
, making the last moments of their fight underwater. In 1993, Polish paleontologist
Halszka Osmólska Halszka Osmólska (September 15, 1930 – March 31, 2008) was a Polish paleontologist who had specialized in Mongolian dinosaurs. Biography She was born in 1930 in Poznań. In 1949, she began to study biology at Faculty of Biology and Earth Scie ...
proposed that during the death struggle a large dune may have collapsed, simultaneously burying both ''Protoceratops'' and ''Velociraptor''. Alternatively, the ''Velociraptor'' may have been
scavenging Scavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While scavenging generally refers to carnivores feeding on carrion, it is also a herbivorous feeding ...
an already dead ''Protoceratops'' and then got buried and eventually killed by an unknown event. In 1995, David M. Unwin and colleagues argued that scavenging was unlikely as there were numerous indications of a simultaneous death. The ''Protoceratops'' has a semi-erect stance and its
skull The skull is a bone protective cavity for the brain. The skull is composed of four types of bone i.e., cranial bones, facial bones, ear ossicles and hyoid bone. However two parts are more prominent: the cranium and the mandible. In humans, th ...
is horizontally oriented, which would have not been possible if the animal was already dead. The ''Velociraptor'' has its right hand trapped within the
jaw The jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term ''jaws'' is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serv ...
s of the ''Protoceratops'' and the left one scratching the ''Protoceratops'' skull. As it lies on the floor with its feet directed to the prey's
abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the to ...
and
throat In vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the front part of the neck, internally positioned in front of the vertebrae. It contains the pharynx and larynx. An important section of it is the epiglottis, separating the esophagus from the trachea (windpip ...
areas, it is unlikely that the ''Velociraptor'' was scavenging. Unwin and colleagues also examined the sediments surrounding the specimen and concluded that the pair was buried alive by a
sandstorm A dust storm, also called a sandstorm, is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Fine particles are transpo ...
or
sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class o ...
-bearing event. They interpreted the final interaction with the ''Protoceratops'' being grasped and dispatched with kicks delivered by the low-lying ''Velociraptor''. Finally, they suggested that populations of ''Velociraptor'' could have been aware of crouching behaviors in ''Protoceratops'' during high-energy sandstorms and used it for successful hunts. In 1998,
Kenneth Carpenter Kenneth Carpenter (born September 21, 1949, in Tokyo, Japan) is a paleontologist. He is the former director of the USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum and author or co-author of books on dinosaurs and Mesozoic life. His main research interests ...
suggested another scenario in which the multiple wounds delivered by the ''Velociraptor'' on the ''Protoceratops'' throat had the latter animal
bleeding Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethra, vag ...
to death. As a last effort, the ''Protoceratops'' bit the right hand of the
predator Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
and trapped it under its own weight, causing the death and eventual desiccation of the ''Velociraptor''. The missing limbs of the ''Protoceratops'' were later torn off by scavengers. Finally, both animals were buried by sandy sediments. Given that the ''Velociraptor'' is relatively complete, Carpenter suggested that it may have been completely or partially buried by sand. He concluded that the Fighting Dinosaurs is among the specimens that provide direct evidence for non-avian theropods as active predators and not strict scavengers. In 2016 Barsbold reported several anomalies within the ''Protoceratops'' individual: both
coracoid A coracoid (from Greek κόραξ, ''koraks'', raven) is a paired bone which is part of the shoulder assembly in all vertebrates except therian mammals (marsupials and placentals). In therian mammals (including humans), a coracoid process is prese ...
s have small bone fragments indicative of a breaking of the
pectoral girdle The shoulder girdle or pectoral girdle is the set of bones in the appendicular skeleton which connects to the arm on each side. In humans it consists of the clavicle and scapula; in those species with three bones in the shoulder, it consists of ...
, and the right forelimb and
scapulocoracoid The scapulocoracoid is the unit of the pectoral girdle that contains the coracoid and scapula. The coracoid itself is a beak-shaped bone that is commonly found in most vertebrates with a few exceptions. The scapula is commonly known as the ''shoulde ...
are torn off to the left and backwards, relative to its
torso The torso or trunk is an anatomical term for the central part, or the core, of the body of many animals (including humans), from which the head, neck, limbs, tail and other appendages extend. The tetrapod torso — including that of a huma ...
. He concluded that the prominent displacement of pectoral elements and right forelimb was caused by an external force that tried to tear them out. Barsbold suggested that scavengers were the most likely authors of these anomalies since the ''Protoceratops'' is missing other body elements and this event likely occurred after the death of both animals or during a point where movement was not possible. Because ''Protoceratops'' is considered to have lived in
herds A herd is a social group of certain animals of the same species, either wildness, wild or Domestication, domestic. The form of collective animal behavior associated with this is called ''herding''. These animals are known as gregarious animal ...
, another hypothesis is that members of a herd tried to pull out the already buried ''Protoceratops'', causing the
dislocation In materials science, a dislocation or Taylor's dislocation is a linear crystallographic defect or irregularity within a crystal structure that contains an abrupt change in the arrangement of atoms. The movement of dislocations allow atoms to s ...
of its limbs. However, Barsbold pointed out that there no related traces to support this latter interpretation. Lastly, he restored the course of the fight with the ''Protoceratops'' powerslamming the ''Velociraptor'', which used its raptorial sickle
claws A claw is a curved, pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most amniotes (mammals, reptiles, birds). Some invertebrates such as beetles and spiders have somewhat similar fine, hooked structures at the end of the leg or tarsus ...
to damage the throat and belly regions and its hand claws to grasp the herbivore's head. Prior to their burial, the fight ended up on the ground with the ''Velociraptor'' lying on its back under the ''Protoceratops''. After the burial event, either a ''Protoceratops'' herd or scavengers tore off the buried ''Protoceratops'' to the left and backwards, slightly separating the ''Protoceratops'' and the ''Velociraptor''.


See also

* Dueling Dinosaurs *
Timeline of ceratopsian research This timeline of ceratopsian research is a chronological listing of events in the history of paleontology focused on the ceratopsians, a group of herbivorous marginocephalian dinosaurs that evolved parrot-like beaks, bony frills, and, later, s ...
*
Timeline of dromaeosaurid research This timeline of dromaeosaurid research is a chronological listing of events in the history of paleontology focused on the dromaeosaurids, a group of sickle-clawed, bird-like theropod dinosaurs including animals like ''Velociraptor''. Since the ...


References


External links

* {{Commons category-inline, GI SPS 100/512 and GI SPS 100/25 ("Fighting Dinosaurs" Protoceratops and Velociraptor), Fighting Dinosaurs
Reconstructed Fighting Dinosaurs
at ArtStation
3D model of the Fighting Dinosaurs specimen
at
Sketchfab Sketchfab is a 3D modeling platform website to publish, share, discover, buy and sell 3D, VR and AR content. It provides a viewer based on the WebGL and WebXR technologies that allows users to display 3D models on the web, to be viewed on ...
Dinosaur fossils