A new written report published in the journalPLOS Onesuggests that the recollective ramification of dinosaurs such as theTyrannosaurus rexmight not have been for speed but longevity , allow them to travel long distances without using up too much energy . The discovery paints a new picture of the ancient predators , whose legs were long thought to have made them great runners .
" The August 15 tends to be that animals with adaptations for running , such as retentive peg , are adapted for a higher maximal speed , but this report exhibit that there ’s more to run than top focal ratio , " said Thomas Holtz , principal reader in the UMD Department of Geology , in astatement . " When you ’re a bigger animal , those adaptation may also be for survival and efficiency . It may be about being a marathoner rather than a sprinter . "
Holtz and his colleagues come in to the recognition follow an analysis of limb symmetry , size proportion , dead body mass , and pace . They used this data point to gauge the top fastness of more than 70 species of theropods , the group of dinosaurs that is characterise by hollow bones and three - toed limbs . All recognise bird-footed dinosaur were two-footed , have in mind they walk on two leg with reduced front leg , as witness inT. rex .
Their bipedal locomotion was thought to be the key to their achiever , but the written report adds more to the taradiddle . The analytic thinking revealed that long legs were good for range in the small and medium - sized dinosaur , but for species above 998 kilogram ( 2,200 pounds ) , long legs likely had no welfare for pep pill . This intend that big dinosaur such asT. rexwere probably no quicker than their stubby - legged neighbor , but they could move more expeditiously .
The researchers calculated how much energy would be expend when walking for dinosaurs with differing leg lengths and observe that this was where the largest species came out ahead . Giant mintage such asT. rexwould have used less push when walking , meaning they could go for international mile and miles in lookup of food without tiring .
" That ’s really a very beneficial rescue , because piranha lean to expend a great raft of their time scrounge , searching for prey , " Holtz said . " If you are burning less fuel during the foraging part of the day , that ’s an energy saving that dinosaurs with shorter stage forms did n’t get . "
