#bite force

BIG NEW BATTLEBOTS NEWS

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Battlebots has got a new sponsor, BrightData, and they've announced that they're going to be doing a new tournament soon!

With the immense size of most sauropods it is hard to imagine what might have been brave enough (or stupid enough) to take one on. It seems unlikely but theropod tooth marks have been found on sauropod bones so we know they were being eaten at the very least.

Mmm, Apatosaurus ischium.

Allosaurus is probably the most well-known of the sauropod predators. Often found alongside sauropod remains, it is highly likely that it hunted juveniles or sick adults in packs. One hypothesis for its hunting strategy is that it would use its head somewhat like an axe.

It had a relatively weak bite force but incredibly strong neck muscles. Its skull could withstand forces almost 15x that of its bite. They were also fast sprinters so they could ambush their prey. They would run up, use their massive, recurved claws on their hands as hooks to grapple prey much like raptors (meaning birds of prey, actual raptors) and then use their jaws to rake flesh off the sauropod causing it to bleed out. This allowed Allosaurus to follow behind at a safe distance while its prey bled to death.

Allosaurus vs Barosaurus

It is likely that cousins of Allosaurus such as Carcharodontosaurus, Giganotosaurus, and Mapusaurus also hunted sauropods in packs. All of these carnosaurs lived in sauropod heavy environments and had similar body plans that would allow them to hunt in similar fashions.

Carcharodontosaurus vs Rebbachisaurus by Mark Witton

Giganotosaurus and Sauropod by Bob Walters and Tess Kissinger

Mapusaurus vs sauropods

It has also been suggested that abelisaurids like Majungasaurus were specialized for hunting sauropods. With short, broad snouts they might have hunted like modern felids: bite and hold on.

Majungasaurus tooth marks have been found on Rapetosaurus bones so we know they were eating sauropods at the very least.