Therizinosaurus, the scythe-clawed dinosaur from Jurassic World, could not
have used its enormous, "useless," flimsy talons to battle, according to
scientists.
According to a new research, a "completely bizarre" dinosaur with enormous
claws whose purpose has long been unknown was unable to battle or repel
assailants due to their fragility.
Therizinosaurus, a theropod dinosaur, existed between the Late Triassic and
the Cretaceous (220 million to 66 million years ago). In the most recent
"Jurassic World" film, the creature is seen impaling the vicious carnivore
Giganotosaurus and batting away a deer with its scythe-like talons. The
latest study, however, suggests that this portrayal is untrue.
Zichuan Qin, a doctoral student at the University of Bristol in England who conducted
the research, told Live Science that "movies and videos indicate that they
used these claws like long blades to battle each other or predators. "But
according to our study, they are unable to handle stress, so these creatures
couldn't use their claws to protect themselves or engage in combat. We were
all shocked by the outcomes because everyone was anticipating ["Jurassic
World: Dominion"] when we viewed it last year. We immediately understood,
"No, that's not true!""
Tyrannosaurus rex in height, therizinosaurs began as turkey-sized creatures
and grew to be 30 feet (10 meters) tall. With short legs and a "huge
bottom," this "utterly weird" feathered dinosaur from the end of the
Cretaceous period resembled a giraffe and may have perched on it to consume
foliage, according to the experts.
The research found that the dinosaur's long, narrow "Edward Scissorhands"
claws, which measured 3 feet (1 m), were the largest ever seen in a
mammal.
"There's been a lot of debate about what these claws were for, partly
because they're so big and partly because they're attached to an animal
whose other characteristics suggest it was a herbivore — their skulls and
their teeth suggest they were plant eaters," said
Paul Barrett, a paleobiologist at the Natural History Museum in London who was not
involved in the study.
The research, which was released on February 16 in the journal
Communications Biology, found that these outsized talons were so weak that
they were unable to even catch and draw down branches (opens in new tab).
The researchers created 3D computer models of the talons from meticulous
fossil images, which they then evaluated for various mechanical abilities
like digging, tugging, and piercing.
Additionally, they looked at alvarezsaurs, a group of dinosaurs linked to
therizinosaurs who, unlike them, developed into tiny dinosaurs with claws
resembling those of a rock pick. The alvarezsaurs shrunk to the size of a
chicken, making them the smallest dinosaurs ever, according to Qin. They
could withstand great duress, such as digging in the earth, despite their
claws' tiny size.
Paleontologists generally agree that Alvarezsaurus was an ant eater with
talons that were perfect for digging up anthills, but the new research
offers more thorough and quantifiable evidence, according to Barrett.
Why then did Therizinosaurus develop enormous, apparently pointless claws?
According to the experts, males displayed their lengthy claws to entice
females, much like peacocks spread their tails to dazzle prospective
partners.
We come to the conclusion that they were primarily for show, said research
co-author and University of Bristol vertebrate paleontology lecturer
Mike Benton. Therizinosaurs may have used their long talons to flash and clatter in
order to frighten people or to attract women.
According to Barrett, the writers made a strong argument against using
these flimsy weapons for combat. They "might have had some small part in
food gathering, though," he continued. But very frequently in evolution,
these extremely bizarre and ornate structures that seem pointless are
primarily about show and who gets to reproduce with whom.
He also proposed another potential use for the enormous talons. "They might
have even groomed each other using them. Given that these creatures had
feathers, they may have used them as ornate combs."
