Fossilized remains from a single precipitate at Carnegie quarry in northeast Utah have revealed new insights into the dietary habits of ancient herbivores and carnivores. The quarry, known for it’s remarkable fossil preservation due to conditions believed to be caused by severe drought, offers a unique chance to study the feeding patterns of species that coexisted.
Researcher Norris collected and analyzed isotope samples from 17 individual animals, sourced from both the field and a local museum. This analysis, conducted at Jackson School with the assistance of John Lassiter and Aaron Satkoski, aimed to differentiate the diets of various species. professor Rowan Martindale of Earth.com has described the site as a “unique paleontology perm,” highlighting the importance of this research in understanding ancient ecosystems and food preferences.
The study focused on herbivores such as Camarasaurus, Camptosaurus, and Diplodocus, alongside carnivores like Allosaurus and the crocodile-like Eutretauranosuchus. While a prevailing theory suggested that large herbivores consumed vegetation from different vertical zones of the forest canopy, Norris’s findings indicate a more nuanced separation of diets.
Specifically, Camptosaurus appears to have favored softer, more nutritious plant parts like leaves and shoots. In contrast, Camarasaurus showed a preference for conifers and tougher plant matter. Diplodocus, on the other hand, had a more varied diet, including low-lying ferns, horsetails, and other coarse materials.
