It is a look at ecosystems that existed more than 65 million years ago when dinosaurs moved the earth.
A new study from the University of Auckland looks at the roles of animals in moving seeds from one place to another.
Evidence from fossils suggests that seeds eaten by dinosaurs may remain intact in the stomach, suggesting a potential role in helping plants spread in the prehistoric world.
This prompted Dr George Perry, from the School of the Environment, to look at how far dinosaurs could spread their seeds, shaping the probable travel speed of the animals along with how often they lock – all features that can be measured from body weight.
His work suggests that a dinosaur like Triceratops may be the best seed spreader, which can weigh eight to 10 tons and has a top speed of about 25 kilometers per hour. Another dinosaur of similar body mass and seed dispersal capacity was Stegosaurus, which could weigh between six and eight tons.
These dinosaurs may have propagated seeds on average as far as 4 to 5 kilometers and in rare cases more than 30 kilometers.
For Professor Perry, the work addresses the complex relationships that living things have within ecosystems – a topic that is particularly relevant as the world experiences what some scientists define it as the “sixth extinction.”
“ When we think of extinct animals, it’s easy to think of a long list – but of course, they all played interconnected roles in our ecosystems. “
His article on dinosaurs and seeds, published directly in the journal Biology Letters, draws on his ongoing and unpublished research with colleagues at Manaaki Whenua – A Land Care Study of the Possible Roles extinct in New Zealand such as moa, huia and giant geese scattering seeds.
It also adds to the previous notion of the potential role of dinosaurs in the propagation of plants.
Fossil plants have features that suggest they may have been dispersed by animals dating back as far as 280 million years – and seeds from fossil gut content are just as old.
Dinosaurs became extinct about 65 million years ago.
However, it may be difficult or impossible to understand from the fossil record to understand exactly what role dinosaurs played in helping plants to disperse. Although dinosaurs certainly translocated seeds, scientists do not know about the germination of these seeds.
Professor Perry embraced the project at the time of the Covid-19 locks, which were involved in tackling the practices of the largest land animals ever – and pleased to offer an alternative have rather than another Zoom call.