Science Museum of Minnesota Exploration - ESCI 1001 F22

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University of Minnesota-Twin Cities *

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1001

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Geology

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Feb 20, 2024

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xlsx

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Name: hailey Kretsch University of Minnesota Department of Earth Sciences A Self-Guided Exploration of the Paleontology Hall Exhibits Copyright © 2022 - all rights You must enter your name above credit for your extra credit assign Science Museum of Minnesota ’ s
SMM Paleontology Hall Exploration Logistics: SMM Paleontology Hall Exploration The ekingated finger bones make up a majority of the quetzalcoatlus wing Be sure to answer questions with full sentences that briefly explain your respo reasoning. This Excel form of the exploration is only intended to help with the exploration submission. You should find it easier to complete the lab using the copy of the exploration in your lab manual, which you can then drop off during lab or to yo instructor's mailbox in Tate 150. If you cannot easily drop off your exploration, you can transfer your answers to Excel document, save the file, and then submit it through the submission porta lab Canvas page. Alternately, if you know how to merge photographs into a sin file, you can convert your paper copy to a single PDF file and submit it through Canvas portal. However, your lab instructors are NOT allowed to accept any exp submitted as multiple files (like a series of cell phone photographs). Hence, if y cannot drop off a paper copy of the exploration, it may be easiest to transfer y answers to this file. Be sure to save the file before submitting it. See copy of exploration printed in ESCI 1001 Lab Manual for details on Science Museum of Minnesot directions, parking, and hours. This exploration begins in the Museum entrance lobby. Although the T. rex skeleton may draw your e enter, first look up at the skeleton mounted above you. Quetzalcoatlus was a late Cretaceous pterosau reptile). Pterosaurs were NOT dinosaurs, but another line of Mesozoic reptiles. However, Quetzalcoatlu some recognition simply because it was one of the largest known animals to ever fly above the Earth’s Take a moment to try to really grasp the size of this animal. You will see a reconstruction later on. All vertebrate tetrapods (four-limbed animals) share a common skeletal design, so Quetzalcoatlus’ arm similar to your own. Only proportions differ. The wing begins with a single upper arm bone that conne shoulder girdle (shoulder blade and collar bone), two lower arm bones lie between the elbow and wrist the small wrist bones are long slender bones that form the fingers, one of which is much larger than t three. The smaller digits attach close to the middle of the longer digit. In addition, there is a long slen the wrist that points back towards the shoulder girdle. This is the pteroid bone, unique to pterosaurs significant difference between the pattern of Quetzalcoatlus’ arm and your own. • Which part of the forelimb comprises the largest part of the animal’s wing? Is it the upper the paired lower arm bones, or the bones of the elongated finger? Remember this pattern, so yo compare it to the other flying animals you will see later in the exploration.
Another hidden difference between your skeleton and Quetzalcoatlus’ is many of Quetzalcoatlus’ bones were hollow Despite its size, Quetzalcoatlus may have weighed only 250 kg (550) pounds, although some folks think it was heavi Now head over to the Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton and appreciate how its body is designed for hunting. Since the skull may be masked, walk behind the skeleton to the stand-alone skull. At first glance, the teeth are the most obvious indication this was a meat-eating dinosaur but take time to admire the powerful build of its rear legs as those played as great a role in this predator’s success. However, even within the skull there are other indications of a predatory lifestyle besides its formidable teeth. Use the image at right to identify the eye socket and then walk out to a point roughly five meters (16’) in front of the skull. ·         If you stand in front of T. rex ’s skull, can you still see both of its eyes? The front eyes of the Trex are located in the narrow skull; therefore the eyes can be seen from the fr the visual needs of the Trex the skull evolved over time, making the nose longer and narrower and th cheekbones more inward. Now walk towards the T. rex ’ s tail to find an Edmontosaurus skull. Edmontosaurus was one of the plan dinosaurs that Tyrannosaurus rex may have terrified. In life, the bill at the front of its mouth was cove horny material to form a sharp beak to crop plants. Although the teeth look small, they are numerous together to form a continuous grinding surface to break plants down for better digestion. The jaw’s co articulation with the skull allowed Edmontosaurus to move its jaws forward and back or side-to-side w motion than many plant-eating mammals have. While you can see its large eyes from the front, they offset to the skull’s side to provide a greater range of peripheral (side) vision than T. rex had. ·         What advantage would more forward-facing eyes give a predator like T. rex ? Why might a gr of peripheral sight have been an advantage for a potential prey animal like Edmontosaurus ? Trex have wider binocular field of view, this allows them to have better depth perception so it can fin much more easily. Peripheral vison allows edmontosaurus to spot prey approaching from the side an provides them with protection while eating Before leaving Edmontosaurus , take a moment to examine how its jaw articulates with the skull and h are inset from the jaw’s outer edge, allowing space for cheek-equivalent structures (our cheek muscles to mammals, but many plant-eating dinosaurs had structures that played similar roles in chewing. Th over to the stand-alone display of T. rex ’ s skull to examine T. rex ’ s jaws and teeth in detail. Were T. rex
over to the stand-alone display of T. rex ’ s skull to examine T. rex ’ s jaws and teeth in detail. Were T. rex inset to provide space for cheek-equivalents? Did T. rex have a simple jaw articulation or was its conn skull as complex as Edmontosaurus’ was? ·         Does the design of Tyrannosaurus rex ’s jaw and teeth suggest that T. rex chewed its food b swallowing it or simply tore chunks of meat off its prey and swallowed them without chewing? The trex chewed food before swallowinf since the teeth were thicker than most reptiles and they we to crush and pierce food. The teeth were supported by a boney skull which helped to redirect much force to the nasal bones. After scanning your ticket, enter the exhibit hall on the other side of the lobby. Upon entering, you will b uppermost floor of the three main exhibit levels. Take the stairs or elevator down to the lowest floor (Lev If you wish to spend more time with Tyrannosaurus rex , you can race one at the Sportsology E Otherwise, walk toward the Paleontology Hall, keeping to the right of the staircase. Look up to see the a Mosasaurus mounted above the large black slab of fossiliferous coal. Imagine swimming across Kan time when these characters roamed the waters. Like pterosaurs, Mososaurus is often misidentified as but non-avian dinosaurs were land animals (rather than marine animals) and Mosasaurus came from tetrapod line. Mosasaurus’ sharp teeth not only identify it as a predator but hold clues to the identity of its favorite most abundant prey animals in Cretaceous seas were fish and ammonites. Ammonites were closely re squid and octopi but had hard shells. Most fish eaters have sharp slender teeth that curve towards th the mouth to trap and hold slippery fish. In contrast, predators that prey on shelled animals have thic like, upright teeth capable of easily puncturing shells without breaking. ·         Based on the design of its teeth, did Mosasaurus most likely rely primarily on a fish diet or likely that ammonites made up the bulk of its diet? mosasaurs had thick sear shaped upright teeth that suggest the ammonites were their primary diet. ammonites had hard shells which the teeth of the mosasaurs could easily puncture. Dinosaurs arose from a line with an erect stance (one with the limbs directly under the body as in most mammals), while other reptile lines often had sprawled stances, with the limbs jutting out to the sides (like lizards). Animals with sprawled stances move with the same side-to-side backbone motion that their ancestors used to swim with. They cannot easily run and breathe at the same time because their spines’ side-to-side movement constrains their lungs. A lizard can run quickly, but only for a short distance before it must stop to catch its breath. In contrast, animals with erect stances can run and breathe at the same time so they have greater running endurance. However, their spines need to move in a vertical plane, not a horizontal plane. Sprawling Stance
I think it was a side-to-side swing because it expands horizontally, it is suitable for swinging side-to-s Briefly describe some of the features of the Triceratops skull specifically tied to eating plants. Did Mosasaurus move its tail from side to side or in an up and down motion? The difference between swimming styles provides a crucial clue to the animal’s ancestry. Animals that rely on side-to-side sw to have pronounced lateral process on the vertebrae close to the hips (lower back and upper tail) for s while the tail’s end is taller than it is wide to catch the water and push the animal forward. In contras that swim with an up-and-down motion have little use for lateral processes and their tails tend to be m broader than they are tall. ·         Based on the design of Mosasaurus’ tail and spine, is it more likely that Mosasaurus swam and-down tail motion or with a side-to-side tail motion? ·         Does its tail and spine design suggest that Mosasaurus’ ancestors most likely had an erect mammals or dinosaurs) or a sprawled stance (like lizards)? Their ancestors were lizards. Their body structure is similar to that of modern day lizards but is elong more suited for swimming Continue towards the cluster of large dinosaur skeletons in front of the Paleontology Hall’s main entra main entrance though, turn right to examine the skeleton of a horned dinosaur, Triceratops . Walk around the Triceratops skeleton to examine it from different angles. Start with the skull. Triceratops lived at the end of the Cretaceous after angiosperms (flowering plants) arose to dominate the landscape. Many features of its skull are adapted to acquiring or processing these higher-nutrient plants. Those differences are dramatic when you compare the design of this animal’s skull to that of one of the first dinosaurs (shown at right) which ate meat. Herrerasaurus ’ teeth were simple blade-like sharp teeth that tore away chunks of flesh without chewing. Its jaw margins were smooth, without any indentations to suggest the presence of cheek-equivalent structures to keep food in its mouth while chewing. But land plants are more difficult to digest than meat, so the skulls of plant eaters have adaptations to allow more extensive food processing before swallowing. ·         How does the design and placement of its teeth differ from those of Herrerasaurus ? The teeth are designed for sheaing in a vertical motion and they are arranged in groups of 36-40 colu each side of the jaw (each column containing three to five stacks of teeth) Sprawling Stance (crocodiles & lizards) Herre
·         Are there any indications of recessed areas along the jaw that suggest Triceratops had som cheek muscles or cheek-equivalent structures to hold food in its mouth for chewing? the chin is round with a structure on the outside indicating that it is connected to the cheek muscles elongated groove on the examination side of the chin showing evidence of muscle attachment ·         How was the front of Triceratops’ jaw modified to crop plants? the contact between the teeth and the dinasaurs upper jaw is reduced to lessen friction and make ch more efficient. The slicing edges of the tooth have become adapted to ensure that chewing is better stress on the teeth. Although you can see the placement, size, and shape of Triceratops’ teeth, it is more difficult to see that its teeth together to form a continuous slicing surface. As the teeth wore away, rows of erupting tooth buds in the jaw con replaced them, so Triceratops never ran out of serviceable teeth. Other parts of Triceratops’ skull served other uses. Its horns were used for defense and in social domi contests (push the panel button to see the healed wound from another Triceratops). There was once s controversy over the purpose of the skull’s posterior frill that covers the neck. Some people thought th served to protect its neck from predators, but in life the grooves across its surface held large blood ves ·         Does the presence of these grooves make the frill’s use in defense more likely or less likely explain your reasoning. The grooves in the frills make the defense much more efficient for the triceratops. They provide extr reinforcement for the frill making it hard for the enemy to break or penetrate the frill and get to the Another definite use of the frill’s base was as a surface attachment area for large jaw muscles, seen here in a relative of Triceratops. ·         Considering the size of its frill and the other jaw features you noted above, do you think Tr diet consisted of relatively soft plants or relatively tough woody vegetation? The diet consisted of tough and woody vegetation. The teeth of the triceratops would eat not only le strong branches and roots as well
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